Golden Globes
Austin Butler can’t get rid of the Elvis voice – and reaps malice on the Internet
Austin Butler won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Elvis Presley
© Rich Polk/NBC/AP/DPA
As King of Rock’n’Roll Elvis Presley, Austin Butler not only played his way into the hearts of many music fans. On Tuesday, the actor received a Golden Globe for his performance – but amazed the audience with his voice.
Deep, slow, with a soft Southern accent – Elvis Presley’s voice is as legendary as his dancing. Austin Butler undertook months of voice training to portray the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic in order to get as close as possible to the role he played.
And indeed, Butler’s voice can hardly be distinguished from that of his music idol.
Austin Butler still speaks like Elvis Presley
On Tuesday, the 31-year-old won a Golden Globe for his performance. Rightly so, say critics. But during his acceptance speech on the stage of the award, the viewers in front of the TV set and in the hall noticed: Butler Presley doesn’t seem to have shaken off completely.
“Oh man I’m at a loss for words. I’m just so grateful right now. I’m in this room full of my heroes. Brad [Pitt], I love you. quentin [Tarantino], I printed out the ‘Pulp Fiction’ script when I was 12. I can’t believe I’m here now,” he said, in typical Elvis tongue-twisting.
The scene caused malice on the internet. “You’re from California,” wrote one user on Twitter, referring to the southern dialect. “Have we checked on the hypnotist who keeps Austin Butler in a permanent Elvis voice trance?” one user quipped. “I just want to know if Austin Butler is keeping his Elvis voice for the second part of ‘Dune’,” tweeted author Karen Han.
He explains it himself
Butler himself has spoken in the recent past about how much the role has shaped him. And also mentioned that it is difficult for him to get rid of Elvis’ voice again. “At this point, I often ask people, ‘Is that my voice?’ Because it sounds like my real voice,” he told Entertainment Tonight last year.
He practically lived with Elvis for two years, he explained, and couldn’t think of anything else than his film role. Putting himself in the shoes of the music legend should have been worthwhile for Butler. He is considered a hot Oscar nominee.
Sources: Golden Globes / Twitter / Entertainment Tonight