Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann’s Elvis promises to be one of the most sensational musical dramas of 2022. Given Elvis Presley’s incredible and somewhat controversial story, Luhrmann’s inspired filmmaking, and the endless array of dazzling musical numbers to choose from, there’s a scarce chance of a dull moment. That said, rendering a stellar and, more importantly, candid interpretation of the life of one of the most phenomenal cultural icons of all time must have imposed a hefty burden on Luhrmann and his production team.
Luhrmann elected to share this astronomical burden with former Nickelodeon star Austin Butler, charging the young actor with the Herculean task of embodying the inimitable Rock 'N' Roll legend. Fortunately, Butler took on the arduous task with unqualified enthusiasm and determination, ultimately wowing critics with a stellar portrayal of the musical idol. Here’s how Butler managed to transform himself into a version of Elvis almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
8 How Austin Butler Felt About Taking On The Elvis Role
Portraying Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s musical drama was a monumental career shift for Austin Butler. Unsurprisingly, the 30-year-old actor was incredibly nervous about taking up the role.
Butler commented on his fears in a recent interview with ET saying, “Elvis is so loved and so iconic, you feel responsibility playing any human that has actually lived, but with him, it's a weight, like I never felt before. And there's a responsibility to his family, and also putting his story into context.”
7 How Long Did Austin Butler Study Elvis?
Austin Butler’s transformation into the king of Rock 'N' Roll mandated tremendous preparation. In his interview with ET, Butler disclosed that he dedicated two years of his life to preparing for the iconic role.
According to Butler, preparing for two years “helped a lot. So by the time I got on set, I was pretty clear about what I was doing.”
6 How Did Austin Butler Learn To Move Like Elvis?
Elvis Presley is renowned for his provocative movements and sensational performance style. To emulate Presley’s iconic style, Butler “worked with movement coach Polly Bennett prior to filming and then all the way through the shoot."
According to Butler, working with a movement coach helped him “not only to move the way [Elvis] did but to understand what makes a person move in the way they do.”
5 Austin Butler Spent Time With Priscilla Presley
Austin Butler also sought input from Elvis’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, to ascertain an accurate portrayal of the Rock 'N' Roll legend.
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor recently disclosed to ET, “I met [Priscilla] before we started filming. Then getting to see her after she'd seen the film, it was so moving to me… I was so nervous when she was going to watch the film because she knows him better than anybody.”
4 Austin Butler Listened To Elvis Presley's Entire Catalog
Apart from moving like Elvis, Austin Butler was also required to learn how to sing like the iconic Rock N Roll legend. Butler disclosed to The Social TV that delving into Presley’s entire musical catalog was the first step in accomplishing this monumental task.
Butler also took time to listen “to the way that [Elvis] used his voice while singing” and notice how his sound evolved over time.
3 Austin Butler Obsessed Over Singing Like Elvis
Austin Butler also bestowed upon himself the borderline impossible task of replicating Presley’s distinctive singing voice.
In his interview with The Social TV, Butler commented on his relentless efforts to imitate Elvis’ unique sound saying, “I would have a certain song that I knew I needed to work on, and I would listen to three seconds of it just hear how he hit a certain note and just practice it a million times, record myself, listen back, and figure out what sounds different… It was a lot of obsession.”
2 How Austin Butler Learned To Speak Like Elvis
Austin Butler’s Elvis transformation also encompassed the monumental task of emulating Elvis’ distinctive low-voiced drawl. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the young actor admitted that he worked with dialect coaches to perfect his Elvis sound.
Butler also disclosed, "I would take an interview or a speech that he had on stage where he is talking to the audience, and I would practice it as though I was trying to get it to be exact."
1 How Austin Butler Learned To Imitate Elvis’ Mannerisms
Elvis Presley’s mannerisms were arguably the most distinctive aspect of his personality. Austin Butler has admitted that integrating these unique attributes into his portrayal of Elvis was somewhat challenging.
Butler recently disclosed to ET that he spent a lot of time "going back and forth between incredibly technical things, and then never losing the humanity... The goal was always to have his soul in there.”