Last year’s biopic,Elvis, has earned a plethora of awards and nominations, with the most recent being for several Oscar categories, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Lead actorAustin Butlerspoke withThe Hollywood Reporterabout how grateful he was for the nomination, although he wishes Elvis Presley’s late daughter,Lisa Marie Presley, was still here to celebrate:
“[This role] seemed as though it was this impossible mountain to climb in front of me. There were so many pitfalls and so I just was focusing on one step at a time. And really the thing for me was just honoring the life of this man and his family. And that’s why those moments when Lisa Marie and Priscilla [Presley] got to see the film and then I first saw them after… nothing I would do would ever top that. And especially with Lisa Marie not being here with us. I just wish she was here to celebrate today with us.”
Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of legendary singer Elvis Presley,passed away suddenlya few weeks ago. She followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a singer and songwriter. She had attended the Golden Globe Awards Ceremony just a few days before her death, in which Austin Butler earned the award for Best Actor - Drama. Butlerpreviously sharedthat he felt very fortunate for the time he was able to spend with her.
Related:Elvis Director Shares Tribute to Late Lisa Marie Presley
Austin Butler Says “Nothing Compares” to Lisa Marie Presley’s Praise for the Film
While some biopics get criticized by the subject person’s family members, that wasn’t the case withElvis.The film was highly praised by Lisa Marie Presley, and Austin Butler says that her approval was better than any award he could have received:
“She was the most straightforward and supportive person. I know from all the times that we got to celebrate together how we would celebrate today, you know, and I wish she and Elvis were here to get to experience this time…. ultimately, the thing I’m most grateful for is that I was able to spend the time that I had with Lisa Marie, and also the time that I had in getting to live for three years exploring the life of her father. When I see moments like today or when I feel moments like today, I have to really take a second to go, ‘Okay, this is this is something to be really grateful for.’ But nothing compares to that moment I looked in her eyes after she first saw the film, where she told me how much it meant to her. I’ll really cherish that for the rest of my life.”
Butler also gave a shout-out to other actors who received Oscar nominations, including Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser, Bill Nighy, Paul Mescal, and his friend Barry Keoghan. He says “I’m just so proud of everybody, and so privileged and humbled to be included among them all.”
Elvisis available to stream on HBO Max. It was directed and written by Baz Luhrmann and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Austin Butler stars in the titular role, with co-stars including Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thompson, and Richard Roxburgh.
