Austin Butler’s life was on hold for two years to play Elvis Presley: ‘I fell down rabbit hole of obsession’

Austin Butler says he spent two years getting ready for the function of Elvis (Image: Warner Bros / Getty)

Austin Butler has revealed he ‘put his life on maintain for 2 years to arrange for the function of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic celebrating the music legend.

The 30-year-old actor stated he studied the late icon so intensely he ‘fell down a rabbit gap of obsession’ so as to unearth his ‘humanity’ for the massive display.

Talking at a press convention on the Cannes Movie Pageant this week, Austin instructed reporters: ‘I mainly put the remainder of my life on pause for 2 years and I simply absorbed every thing probably might.

‘I simply went down the rabbit gap of obsession. And I broke down his life into durations of time the place I might hear the variations in how his voice modified through the years and the way his motion modified through the years and I spent two years learning, looking for his humanity as greatest as I might by means of that.’

The As soon as Upon A Time in Hollywood star added that it was ‘difficult’ to separate the mythology from the true individual, such was the legacy of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

‘The difficult factor is you see Elvis as this icon, or because the wallpaper of society and discovering a solution to strip all of that away and discover the very human nature of him that was deeper than all of that, that’s what was fascinating for me.’

Austin transforms into Elvis within the biopic (Image: Warner Bros./AP)

Priscilla Presley joined Austin on the premiere of Elvis in Cannes this week(Image: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

He stated he had positioned ‘unrealistic expectations’ himself to carry Elvis to life, recalling: ‘After I first began, I put these unrealistic expectations on
myself that by some means, if I labored laborious sufficient, I might make my face
similar to Elvis’ face. And that my eyes would look precisely like
Elvis’ eyes and also you wouldn’t have the ability to inform the distinction.’

All his laborious work and dedication appear to have paid off because the actor has been receiving vital acclaim his portrayal of the singer since Elvis premiered at Cannes. In accordance with Selection, the movie acquired a 12-minute standing ovation, the longest of this yr’s competition up to now.

The spouse of the late icon Priscilla Presley was in attendance to provide it her seal of approval, with the publication including that she and Austin shared a hug after the movie, with each showing emotional.

The Baz Luhrmann movie retells the story of Elvis Presley (Image: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Photographs)

In the meantime, Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley just lately praised the movie and predicted an Oscar for Austin, saying he ‘channeled and embodied my father’s coronary heart & soul superbly’, and if he didn’t win an Academy Award she ‘will eat my very own foot’.

She added that she was additionally moved to tears by watching her youngsters ‘visibly overwhelmed in the very best manner’ by the movie, as they have been ‘so stuffed with pleasure about their grandfather and his legacy in a manner that I've not beforehand skilled’.

Lisa Marie is mom to 32-year-old actress Riley Keough and twins Finely and Harper Lockwood. She has been mourning the lack of her son Benjamin Keough, who took his personal life aged 27. 

Austin concluded on the convention: ‘I’ve lived him now for 3 years, so the sensation of doing him justice, justice to his legacy and actually carry life to this extraordinary man, and to make Lisa Marie and Priscilla and Riley and
your entire household proud, I can't be extra overjoyed, and I simply really feel
over the moon about that.’