Austin Butler‘s Hollywood star is only glowing brighter following his win at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Securing critical acclaim for his leading role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, the 31-year-old actor captured the hearts of millions.
His portrayal was so realistic, in a Deadline interview, Baz Luhrmann revealed Priscilla Presley’s touching comments on Butler’s performance, “My whole life I’ve had to put up with people impersonating my husband, and I don’t know how that boy did it, but every move, every wink… If my husband was here, he’d say, ‘Hot damn, you are me.”
WATCH: Austin Butler looks dashing on the Elvis carpet. Article continues after video.
Following the film’s release in June 2022, Butler’s career has truly sky-rocketed. After immersing himself in the role for three years, he said that letting go of Elvis was extremely difficult.
Speaking to WHO exclusively, he said, “Even the days that I wasn’t filming, it was there and it was a part of me, the fabric of who I was. I remember the day I wrapped, I went back to my trailer and I started crying. I had this moment where I kept repeating in my mind, “Who am I? Who am I? Who am I?’.”
This intense character immersion is still evident in Butler’s day-to-day mannerisms. Most noticeably, his voice has been a hot topic of contention.
After the Elvis press tour and countless public speaking appearances, the public can’t help but notice Butler’s continuous use of an ‘Elvis-like’ voice. While some have argued he is speaking like this on purpose, his vocal coach has recently come out to set the matter straight once and for all: why does Austin Butler still speak like Elvis?
Speaking to ABC Gold Coast, Irene Bartlett (Butler’s vocal coach) answered the public’s burning question, “Because of COVID shutdowns, he was working on it all the time and it’s difficult to switch off something you’ve spent so much focus [and] time on… He was never going to be — and [director] Baz Luhrmann didn’t want him to be — an Elvis impersonator…”
As for his viral 2023 Golden Globes acceptance speech, Bartlett said, “I feel sorry people are saying that [he’s faking it], you know, it’s still acting [but] he’s actually taken [the voice] on board…I don’t know how long that will last, or if it’s going to be there forever.”
“What you saw in that Golden Globes speech, that’s him. It’s genuine, it’s not put on,” she added.
WATCH: Elle Australia interview Austin Butler. Article continues after video.
While Butler himself hasn’t noticed the vocal change, when speaking to Entertainment Tonight, he found reason in the comparisons, explaining that his DNA is now linked that way.
“I think, I often liken it to when somebody lives in another country for a long time, and I had three years where that was my only focus in life, so I’m sure that there’s just pieces of my DNA that will always be linked in that way.”
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