Austin Butler composes a King crying out for truth in Elvis by Bazz Luhrmann. He is so convincing that he almost crushes Tom Hanks, yet dazzling in the role of greedy Colonel Parker, mentor and agent of the legendary rocker. Six months after creating the event at the Cannes Film Festival, this flamboyant biopic is available on DVD and Blu-Ray, a good opportunity to look back on this adventure with Austin Butler.
“It’s wonderful to have been able to talk to people who have seen the film around the world,” he confides to 20 minutes. Those who were Elvis fans before seeing him as well as those who discovered him with the screening. His performance is so remarkable that the viewer forgets that he is not seeing the real Elvis on the screen. Moreover, it is difficult to find the King when you meet the actor whose soft voice testifies to his shyness. Austin Butler himself was almost bluffed by his own performance. “Usually I don’t like looking at myself,” he said. It’s the first time I’ve managed to see one of my films as I don’t always recognize myself on screen. »
Still an Elvis fan
It doesn’t necessarily show, but Austin Butler has worked hard to get into the skin of Elvis Presley “without falling into caricature or imitation, but trying to restore his humanity”. His naturalness is such that one could believe that his performance is innate when he took months to perfect it, without being tired of the King. “During the filming, people predicted to me that I would end up not being able to suffer it anymore, but they were wrong, he insists. Even today, if I’m having a bad day, I put on some Elvis and that makes me happy. »
It’s no surprise that the 31-year-old actor is given big favorite for the 2023 Oscars by the professional magazine variety. “I am not ready to respond to these forecasts and I prefer to take life day by day,” he comments. This attitude full of wisdom proves that this brilliant actor has not taken the big head. “Everything seems easier to play since Elvis,” he says. We can’t wait to see him ins The Bikeriders by Jeff Nichols or in the sequel to Dunes by Denis Villeneuve which he is currently filming.