Austin Butler dedicated himself to playing Elvis Presley correctly in Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis, going to ever-greater lengths.
The Oscar-nominated actor addressed his method for portraying the famed music great during many phases of his life and his climb to prominence in this week’s episode of the Variety Awards Circuit podcast.
Butler had to deliberately acquire weight to capture the retired version of Presley while remaining authentic to the specifics of the character he was tasked with bringing to life.
The 31-year-old said that the job’s physical demands made it hard, but he was determined to make sure that every part of their portrayal was as accurate as possible.
His dedication paid off as he delivered a performance that was lauded by both fans and critics.
This decision was not taken on the motivation of the moment; instead, he worked hard to ensure that his representation of Elvis Presley in the film was as authentic and accurate as possible.
He wore a form-fitting body suit during filming to ensure his movements and behavior were spot on. Aside from that, he spent a lot of time and energy diligently preparing for his job, so much so that many people have been encouraged to do the same.
During a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the actor revealed that he had spent the previous two years engaging himself in all things Elvis Presley.
His dedication was even more impressive given that filming for their movie project had been put on hold indefinitely owing to the COVID-19 outbreak.
He described how his unhealthy eating habits during this time caused him to gain an unnatural amount of weight, which, while providing a momentary saving from stress, only impeded his self-esteem after a week.
The actor was determined to stay loyal to Elvis’ story by shooting chronologically, but this goal was stopped due to safety and health concerns during the epidemic.
He described how the full manufacturing scale came together later than expected and took intense study for two years to perfect everything.
Throughout it all, he stayed committed to respecting Elvis’ legacy by telling his life story compellingly and respectfully.
When he was recently invited to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor explained that his inquiry into Michael Jackson’s life was terrifying and fulfilling.
He searched deep into Jackson’s life and personality for two years to discover as much of his humanity as possible.
He separated Jackson’s story into several phases to better understand how his voice and motions altered over time.
The actor investigated how Jackson’s life changed, describing it as an obsession.
He explored old records and interviews, spoke intimately with people who had known him, and even attempted to imitate some of his renowned dancing routines.
Wearing this incredible person’s seemingly ever-evolving character gave the actor a unique perspective into his inner difficulties and extraordinary achievements.
Tony Butler admitted to Jimmy Kimmel that he was a massive fan of Elvis Presley’s voice recordings.
He often spent hours listening to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s different tunes and laughing. Tony could only get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep after leaving the flat, constantly waking up in the middle of the night overwhelmed with dread.
But it wasn’t simply his collection that kept Tony awake at night; it appeared that he had developed an obsessive obsession with Presley’s discography.
He attributed it to providing much-needed comfort and peace while living alone in his modest apartment; every day, he’d turn on some album or another and drift away from his problems.
When asked how his obsession began, Tony told the first time he heard Presley’s crooning over the radio, a moment he will never forget.
There was no turning back after that; Tony dedicated himself to collecting every last fragment of recorded material relating to Elvis, resulting in what can only be described as one of the most extensive fan collections available.
