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09.06.2022 - 04:31 / etonline.com
Austin Butler had more than a few nerves when it came time to take on the role of Elvis Presley in the upcoming Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic. «I was nervous and afraid of the big numbers with tons of extras, to go out there and perform in front of a lot of people,» Butler admits in behind-the-scenes footage from, which hits theaters on June 24. «I was filled with terror at that idea.»Smartly, Butler consulted a peer about his nerves: Rami Malek, who won an Academy Award in 2019 for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in .«He said, 'You know what? Those days will probably end up becoming your favorite days,'» Butler remembers, sharing Malek's hindsight from his role. «He could not be more right about that… I was terrified every time before going out there… But Elvis said it as well.
Those first couple songs, once you do them and you realize OK, nobody's going to throw a rock at me, it's all OK.»«Then you feel that connection and you feel how you can play with the audience,» he adds. «There were days I didn't want the day to be over.»The performance wowed not just Presley's real-life family, but Butler's Oscar-winning co-star Tom Hanks, who stars as Elvis' longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker.«When he came out on stage he was electrifying!» Hanks raves in the clip.
«I think he had to do it 30 times, with everything that was going on, and you could not take your eyes off of him every single time.»«You just wanted to see him do it again and again and again and again,» he continues. «Part of that is certainly channeling, part of it is the drive that Austin has, and always has as an actor. But there's also a huge amount of faith that he had in the process and in himself that is not unlike Elvis.» So how did Butler
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Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorWhile Austin Butler’s performance in Baz Lurhmann’s “Elvis” is visually captivating, the music experience is immersive. The film needs to be seen, but it demands to be heard.Composer Elliott Wheeler worked closely with music editor Jamieson Shaw, as the film dances between Butler’s vocals, Elvis Presley’s voice and newly recorded versions of the King’s classics like Kacey Musgraves’ rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”Wheeler says Butler recorded every single line of each performance seen in the film, and Presley’s voice was then mixed in when needed.
Paul McCartney on Thursday while promoting his Elvis movie on The Late Late Show with James Corden on CBS. The 30-year-old actor, who plays Elvis Presley in the new biographical musical Elvis directed by Baz Luhrmann, said he was in awe when he sat across from Paul, 80, for a more than two-hour train ride. 'Suddenly, I'm sitting on a trail across from Paul McCartney, the French countryside is going by and [Stella McCartney] plays the song that he listened to with Elvis,' Austin said.
Bohemian Rhapsody,” and Elton John, who got his own movie with “Rocketman,” Presley comes with more pop-culture baggage than you could stuff into a million Gracelands.There’s the campy Vegas impersonators, the “thank you, thank you very much” catchphrase, the white jumpsuit, the late-in-life weight gain and, of course, dying on the toilet at age 42. For such a singular figure in music — still instantly recognizable to teens today in a way that Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon are not — he’s not allowed much dignity.Luhrmann’s hugely entertaining film and Butler’s sensational performance are dead set on righting that wrong. A movie that runs on jet fuel and confetti, “Elvis” is a tribute to Presley’s innovative spirit, deep passion for fusing blues, country and gospel music and the intense connection he had with his audience. Elvis taking inspiration from black musicians like B.B.
Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorDirector Baz Luhrmann hoped “Elvis” would be much more than a biopic of Elvis Presley — he wanted to capture a time with a social history of this captivating figure that also told the story of America.Starring Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, his manager, “Elvis” spans two decades. The backdrop is America’s Southern bible belt, the evolving cultural landscape, and the rock ‘n’ roller’s meteoric rise to stardom.Costume designer Catherine Martin explains there are two costume styles in the movie — “recreations of costumes that existed, and the other fictionalized outfits that are a synthesis of outfits that he actually had that help tell the story.” The pink suit rockabilly suit Butler sports was just one of 90 costumes he wore.
Priscilla Presley, daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, and granddaughter, Riley Keough — made it official, with a hand and footprint ceremony at the famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.The trio — along with Lisa Marie's 13-year-old twin daughters, Harper and Finley — was honored in celebration of the legacy of their famous family, as well as the upcoming release of the biopic, directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Austin Butler as the King of Rock and Roll himself. Luhrmann and Butler both spoke at the ceremony, which was a moving moment for all of the members of the family, who have been outspoken in their support of the upcoming film and its portrayal of their late, iconic patriarch.«It means a lot, absolutely, to my family and the people who knew Elvis really, really well, to be honored in this way,» Priscilla told ET, adding that the theater — then known as the Grauman's Chinese Theatre — was one of the first sights she saw with Elvis when she first came to Los Angeles in 1962. «It's just incredibly emotional and kind of hard to process, but it's definitely such a big honor,» Riley agreed.For Lisa Marie, the film's release feels like a much larger cultural moment than just a celebration of her father's legacy — not only explores the life of the man himself, but the Black artists and cultural traditions that shaped his musical background.«It means everything to us, it's so important,» she shared. «I mean, everything that's happening right now… the movie is important. The subject matter is important.
Elvis Presley's home of Graceland. Austin Butler and Tom Hanks were joined on the red carpet by three generations of The King's family: his ex-wife Priscilla Presley, daughter Lisa Marie Presley and her three daughters. Tragically, Lisa Marie's only son Benjamin Keough wasn't present after his death in 2020 at just 27-years-old.
Priscilla Presley is giving “Elvis” her seal of approval.
Austin Butler is showing off his best Elvis Presley moves and teaching them to Jimmy Fallon.
Austin Butler felt a heavy weight on his shoulders when it came time to step into Elvis Presley's blue suede shoes for the upcoming biopic, directed by Baz Luhrmann.«Elvis is so loved and so iconic,» the actor told ET's Nischelle Turner earlier this week. «You feel a responsibility playing any human that has actually lived, but with him, it's a weight like I never felt before.»«There's a responsibility to his family, and also putting his story into context,» he continued. «There's so many misconceptions about him, there's so many ideas about him.
Austin Butler is undoubtedly the man of the hour and talk of the town.MORE: Austin Butler is unrecognizable as Elvis PresleyThe actor has been making waves left and right, red carpet after red carpet, and his latest promotional visit was to none other than Today studios, where he chatted with the one and only Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.Opening up to the co-hosts about his journey to embody the iconic singer and his efforts to portray him as accurately as possible, he also revealed a shocking – and heartbreaking – connection the actor and the rockstar have.WATCH: The Elvis trailerJenna was the one to make the revelation, telling Austin: "One thing that you and Elvis have in common, a heartbreaking thing, is that you both lost your mothers at 23."She went on to ask him: "How did that inspire you to get into this role?" which led him to explain how hard he found it at first to become Elvis rather than just an impersonation of him.He detailed the pressure and distance he felt from the late star, saying: "It's that thing where when you first look at Elvis he feels so much larger than life, and you look at him like a god-like figure or a caricature of Elvis."A post shared by TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@hodaandjenna)The heartbreaking revelationRecalling some of the tapes he attempted to film of himself to share with his director, he admitted he wasn't satisfied, saying: "I fell into that, the first month when I was trying to work, where I'd tape myself and I watched it back and I just saw an impersonation, and I just couldn't send it to Baz."MORE: Lisa Marie Presley mourns late son BenjaminMORE: Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler's hottest style momentsHowever, everything changed when he learned about the connection they had over
A perfect part of the role. Austin Butler’s commitment to his Elvis Presley role is no joke. The Elvis star took to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on June 16, 2022, to show off his impersonation skills of The King of Rock & Roll.
If you’ve been following the press for the highly anticipated Elvis biopic as much as we have, you may have noticed something. Austin Butler, who does an uncanny impression in the film itself… is still talking like Elvis Presley today!
Austin Butler is finally getting to the bottom of the internet’s obsession with his “Elvis voice.” Over the weekend, ET spoke with the 30-year-old actor, who plays the King of Rock and Roll in the upcoming Baz Luhrmann-biopic, and he shared why he can’t shake the voice. “At this point, I keep asking people, ‘Is this my voice?’ because this feels like my real … it’s one of those things where certain things trigger it and other times as well it’s, I don’t know,” Butler told ET’s Nischelle Turner.
Tom Hanks only understood the magnitude of what he took on when he saw Austin Butler in full Elvis Presley garbs.
Austin Butler is speaking out in response to people who have accused him of changing his speaking voice to sound more like Elvis Presley.