Yahoo News Austin Butler didn't see his family for three years while dedicating himself to 'Elvis'
Austin Butler was so dedicated to his portrayal of Elvis Presley that he missed out on seeing his family for almost three years.
The actor sat down with actress and singer Janelle Monáe to discuss working on Baz Luhrmann's Elvis for Variety's Actors on Actors series. During the conversation, the actor told the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery star that playing the King of Rock 'n Roll meant he had to neglect his own personal life.
"During "Elvis," I didn't see my family for about three years," Butler said. "I was prepping with Baz, and then I went to Australia. I had months where I wouldn't talk to anybody. And when I did, the only thing I was ever thinking about was Elvis."
The film, which was shot in the filmmaker's native Australia, called for the 31-year-old to live as the late icon to the point that he even addressed family in the singer's unmistakable voice.
"I was speaking in his voice the whole time," Butler added. "So then I'd talk to my sister, and she's gotta listen to that."
"You had to say, 'This is who I am. This is what it takes,'" Monae said, showing her support for his method.
Hugh Stewart/Warner Bros.; John Kobal Foundation/Getty
Butler has been racking up accolades for his turn in the film, including a Golden Globe nomination on Monday.
In June, Butler spoke to EW about his extensive preparation for the film, noting that the year-and-a-half in which he prepared was filled with intense workshopping and lengthy improvisation sessions. A self-taught musician, Butler also did his own singing for the demanding drama. But though he studied Presley diligently, he set out to embody the performer rather than impersonate him, calling his approach a "merging of two souls."
"The thing that woke me up every day at three in the morning was, 'I don't want to be doing an impersonation of him,'" Butler told EW. "That's tricky, because I wanted to sound identical to him and I wanted to look identical to him, but I had to release myself from certain things. Ultimately, my face is different. I had this false expectation in the beginning that I could make my face identical to his. Ultimately, I realized that doesn't serve the story — or me — at all. It's about his spirit. It's about merging our two souls."
Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.
Related content:
