News | Entertainment
2 Jul 2025 13:42
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Austin Butler says he put his "life on pause for two years" to prepare to play Elvis Presley

    The 'Elvis' star put a priority on getting into character and "absorbed everything" that he "possibly could" to bring his best work to the biopic of the King of Rock'n'Roll helmed by Baz Luhrmann


    Speaking at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday (26.05.22), the 30-year-old actor told reporters: "I basically put the rest of my life on pause for two years and I just absorbed everything I possibly could."

    Austin admitted to going "down the rabbit hole of obsession" to get to grips with the 'Can't Help Falling in Love' legend.

    He said: "I just went down the rabbit hole of obsession. And I broke down his life into periods of time where I could hear the differences in how his voice changed over the years and how his movement changed over the years and I spent two years studying, trying to find his humanity as best as I could through that."

    The 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' found it "tricky" to find the human aspect to Elvis as he is such an pop culture icon.

    Austin said: "The tricky thing is you see Elvis as this icon, or as the wallpaper of society and finding a way to strip all of that away and find the very human nature of him that was deeper than all of that, that's what was fascinating for me."

    Austin loved getting into the role, labelling it a "joy".

    He said: "The ability to get to explore that was just the joy of my life."

    Austin spoke about the "unrealistic expectations" he placed on himself to bring Elvis to life.

    He said: "When I first started, I put these unrealistic expectations on myself that somehow, if I worked hard enough, I could make my face identical to Elvis' face. And that my eyes would look exactly like Elvis' eyes and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

    The former 'the Carrie Diaries' star watched some clips of Elvis "over and over and over", such as his television performances from the 50s.

    Austin said: "I would watch Milton Berle 'Hound Dog. I watched one second of this clip over and over and over, looking at what his eyes were doing and the angle of his head, what his hand was doing and try to find it exactly and practice that until it was in my marrow, and then the tricky thing is being able to be there on the day and have it feel like it's happening for the first time and that it's spontaneous."

    Austin compared getting character as Elvis - who died in 1977 - to "spinning plates".

    He said: "It's like spinning plates, because you want to go back to the specifics. And so it was this constant back and forth.

    "Someone asked me yesterday, 'Did you watch playback when you were filming?' I said there were certain moments like, watching 'Hound Dog,'

    we did one take and I went back and I watched it, and I thought, 'I'm doing too much,' so then you strip it back, strip it back and try to get to the point where you have to get through the nerves of it and just feel alive."

    The 'Dune: Part Two' star wanted to "justice" for his legacy and his family - his daughter Lisa Marie Presley, 54, her mother and Elvis' ex Priscilla Presley, 7x, and his granddaughter Riley Keough, 32 - and admitted being "overjoyed" pleasing them with his performance.

    Austin said: "I've lived him now for three years, so the feeling of doing him justice, justice to his legacy and really bring life to this extraordinary man, and to make Lisa Marie and Priscilla and Riley and the entire family proud, I cannot be more overjoyed, and I just feel over the moon about that."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     02 Jul: Sir Brian May doesn't believe that his Queen bandmate Freddie Mercury has a secret daughter
     02 Jul: Scarlett Johansson has revealed that her twin brother Hunter was her most enthusiastic supporter at the premiere of Jurassic World Rebirth
     02 Jul: James Norton is "crazily grateful" for the "pain" of his split from Imogen Poots
     02 Jul: Rihanna's father died of cancer and other serious illnesses
     02 Jul: Sir David Beckham has had an operation to repair a broken wrist he suffered in 2003
     02 Jul: The largest collection of Princess Diana's belongings have gone up for auction
     02 Jul: Scott Wolf has been granted temporary custody of his children
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The spectre of a second-string opponent is just something the All Blacks have to deal with More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Woolworths is recalling potentially plastic-infused mince, sold in its North Island stores More...



     Today's News

    Business:
    Woolworths is recalling potentially plastic-infused mince, sold in its North Island stores 13:27

    Rugby League:
    The odds are shortening on Des Hasler being the first NRL head coach to be punted this season 13:07

    Entertainment:
    Sir Brian May doesn't believe that his Queen bandmate Freddie Mercury has a secret daughter 13:06

    Entertainment:
    Scarlett Johansson has revealed that her twin brother Hunter was her most enthusiastic supporter at the premiere of Jurassic World Rebirth 12:36

    Law and Order:
    Police are preparing to investigate a Gore toddler's death - for a third time 12:27

    Entertainment:
    James Norton is "crazily grateful" for the "pain" of his split from Imogen Poots 12:06

    Rugby League:
    Former Kiwis captain turned pundit Richie Barnett has explained why the Warriors can still finish in the NRL's top four, despite halfback Luke Metcalf's season-ending knee injury 11:57

    Law and Order:
    Cordons are up around a home in Auckland's Ponsonby - where a person was found dead last night 11:47

    Entertainment:
    Rihanna's father died of cancer and other serious illnesses 11:36

    Rugby League:
    The Dolphins now have eight of their top-30 NRL league squad absent with long-term injuries after scans on in-form playmaker Kodi Nikorima's hamstring 11:07


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd