Quick Links
Australian director Baz Luhrman released his sixth movie Elvis in June 2022. After hit projects like Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, and The Great Gatsby, fans were eagerly awaiting to see how the director showcases the life of the King of Rock and Roll. The movie stars Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, and as of writing, it grossed over $118.3 million at the box office.
Today, we're taking a closer look at just what Tom Hanks thought of Austin Butler's performance in the project. Keep on scrolling to find out just when Hanks knew Butler was the perfect choice for the role!
The Moment Tom Hanks Knew Austin Butler Was The Perfect Elvis
The newest Baz Luhrmann movie showcases the life and career of the King of Rock and Roll, as well as his manager Colonel Tom Parker who is played by Tom Hanks. When Hank was asked how he felt about Butler getting cast as Elvis Presley, the actor admitted that he immediately knew it was a perfect choice. "It was one of those things Baz does where he recreated a scene for the movie and it was Austin. Except it was Elvis," Hank revealed. "That’s all you could say. That’s the guy—I told Baz, 'I’m not saying that’s the guy who should be cast as Elvis, I’m saying that’s Elvis, there’s just no question about it.' Austin found some deep, molecular connection to Elvis, and Baz saw that."
Tom Hanks has been active in Hollywood since the '70s and for many, he is one of the most talented actors of his generation. The fact that Hanks was impressed by Butler's performance certainly says a lot about the 30-year-old actor's potential. Hanks admitted that watching Butler perform was incredible. "When he [Austin] came on stage for the Vegas performances, for example, it was electrifying. I think he had to do it 30 times, and you just wanted to see him do it again and again. Part of that is his drive as an actor, but I think there’s also a huge amount of faith in the process, which is not unlike Elvis himself."
The Hollywood legend also revealed that he did not get to share as many scenes with Austin Butler as he hoped to. "And I have to say, you could not take your eyes off of Austin Butler," Hanks said. "He did not phone in a thing, did not fake a thing, he undeniably went there; the dedication that he gave to it was impressive right off the bat."
How Did Austin Butler Feel About Working With Tom Hanks?
While Tom Hanks was extremely impressed by Austin Butler's performance, it's safe to say that Butler was stunned to work with an industry legend like Hanks. "But, yeah, I'll say when I met Tom the first time, I was very nervous. You know, it’s always a thing of meeting your heroes,” Butler shared in an interview during SiriusXM Town Hall. "And he just, I was in the back of Baz‘s house in Australia and they were standing out by this little creek that they had in the back. And I see Baz and Tom standing off in the distance and I’m kind of walking up thinking, 'okay, what am I gonna say?' And Tom turns around and he sees me and he just goes, 'my boy, give me a hug.' And he gives me the biggest bear hug. And then just, you broke down all the barriers of that, that thing. And I, I revere you to this day, but you humanize yourself for me and I’m forever grateful."
Austin Butler rose to fame in the 2000s after appearing in Disney Channel and Nickelodeon projects like Hannah Montana, iCarly, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Zoey 101. In the 2010s the actor starred in the shows Life Unexpected, Switched at Birth, The Carrie Diaries, and The Shannara Chronicles. When it comes to movies, before Elvis, Butler was best known for his portrayal of Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 comedy-drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In 2023, Butler is expected to star in the sci-fi movie Dune: Part Two in which he will portray Feyd-Rautha.
For his role in Elvis, Austin Butler was doing karate training every day with his movement coach. "We would study Elvis, and we would study his movements and then all of the people who inspired him. And also general things like swing dancing and tap dancing and things just for dexterity and movement. We did a lot," Butler revealed AP Entertainment. The actor would also work with a dialect coach on a daily basis, and fans believe that his voice permanently changed because of this.