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During Elvis Presley’s legendary career, he accomplished so much that it is hard to overstate how famous he was at the height of his career. For proof of that, all anyone has to do is look at the fact that Elvis was so popular that fans were still coming up with theories that he is secretly alive years after his passing.Even though the connections that Elivs Presley built with fans were tight and long-lasting, they pale in comparison to the relationships he had with his loved ones, As a result of how much Elvis meant to his daughter Lisa Marie Presley, she still spoke about how wonderful he was decades after he was gone.Aside from Elvis Presley's relationship with his daughter Lisa Marie Presley, the other person that people associate most with the rock legend is his ex-wife Priscilla Presley. Despite the fact that there was a lot of drama in Elvis' relationship with Priscilla, it has always been obvious she cares about him.Since Priscilla Presley likely knew Elvis Presley better than any other person who is living today, she was asked to give her opinion of Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic Elvis. While Priscilla made it clear that she was stunned by the film in a good way, she also admitted the movie made her sad for a surprising reason.
What Did Priscilla Presley Think Of Austin Bulter As Elvis?
When Baz Luhrmann decided to direct, produce, and co-script an Elvis biopic, that seemed like a bad decision in some ways.After all, even though Elvis has loads of fans who would line up to see a movie about him, followers are so familiar with the singer that finding the right person to portray him seemed impossible.
Ultimately, the decision was made to hire an up-and-coming actor named Austin Butler to bring Elvis Presley to life in Baz Luhrmann's biopic. Since Butler still is young in his career, a lot of people weren't aware of him before that casting, so they had no idea if he was a good or bad choice.
Considering that Priscilla Presley is Elvis Presley' ex-wife, it is safe to say that her opinion of Austin Butler's performance means a lot. Fortunately for Butler and everyone involved in the Elvis biopic's production, Priscilla has made it clear she thought he did a wonderful job portraying her ex-husband.
When Priscilla Presley spoke to Extra about Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis Presley, she couldn't have been more complimentary of the young actor.
"It was very emotional, my daughter [Lisa Marie Presley] felt the same way. Only because he got Elvis to a T, I mean to a T. It is unbelievable what this kid did, Austin Butler. He spent two years studying about Elvis, so that was like a shock to watch."
"Even some of the songs. [A talent manager who worked with Elvis] Jerry Schilling sat next to me, we had a private screening, and I said, ‘Is that Elvis or is that Austin?’ and he goes, ‘No, that’s Elvis.’ And then I go, ‘Are you sure?’ and then about a minute later he goes, ‘That’s Austin.’ That’s how amazing he is.”
Why The Elvis Biopic Made Priscilla Presley Sad
During Elvis Presley's life, three women seemed to have the biggest impact on his life. After all, it is well known that Elvis Presley adored his mother Gladys Love and that the singer's' ex-wife Priscilla Presley and his daughter Lisa Marie Presley both had a profound effect on his life.
When it comes to the men Elvis Presley was close with, there is a really good argument that his manager Colonel Tom Parker cast the biggest shadow over his life. As a result, it makes perfect sense that when Baz Luhrmann made the biopic Elvis, he made the Colonel a big part of the movie.
Around the time of the Elvis biopic's release, Priscilla Presley made an appearance on the morning show, Today. To the surprise of virtually everyone, during that appearance, Priscilla revealed that she was bothered by seeing Colonel Tom Parker in the film.
As Priscilla Presley explained, the reason she was bothered by seeing Tom Hanks' portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker is that it made her reexperience some of the frustrations she had with the real person.
"He [Parker] didn’t take Elvis where he wanted to be and that was hard, because I lived it. I lived the arguments they had. I lived Elvis trying to explain that he didn’t want to do all the movies with all the girls, on the beaches. Living that with him, and watching the movie, brought back a lot of memories."
Before Priscilla Presley spoke about her frustrations with Colonel Tom Parker during that Today appearance, a lot of people had no idea Elvis didn't want to star in beach movies. More importantly, a lot of people didn't know about his desire to headline serious movies.