Austin Butler is widely known for his over-the-top acting skills. The actor enjoys legions of fans who admire him for his beautiful craft and talent as an actor and performer. He has numerous acting credits to his name, and he is a proud recipient of several top-level accolades he has received for his extraordinary contribution to art and cinema. Butler has continued to dazzle the audience with his striking on-screen presence and flawless portrayals of his movie characters.
In 2022, the 32-year-old star made his character debut as rock and roll singer and actor Elvis Presley in the epic biographical drama film Elvis. He received immense praise from the audience and critical acclaim for his excellent portrayal of the late music legend. However, the actor once revealed that he was initially scared to play such a significant part. Therefore, he sought advice from Oppenheimer star Rami Malek before he began shooting this project. He claimed he was on the verge of having an anxiety attack, “then I spoke to Rami, and he really helped me.”
Austin Butler Reveals the Advice He Received From Rami Malek
In a candid interview with Pop Sugar, Austin Butler opened up about his experience portraying the role of late singer Elvis Presley in the Baz Luhrmann-directed 2022 epic biographical drama film Elvis. Butler is an incredibly talented and hardworking actor who demonstrates each of his characters with nuance and charm. However, the challenges he endured while depicting the role in this award-winning music biopic of the late legendary music royalty made him doubt his cinematic abilities.
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star recalled the much-needed advice he received from the Oscar-winning star Rami Malek before he started filming this high-profile movie,
“He was very helpful when I was going through a near panic attack before starting. We actually spoke before COVID. So, I was about to start shooting, and I didn’t feel ready. I was on the verge of an anxiety attack [and] I just didn’t feel ready at that time — then I spoke to Rami, and he really helped me.”
He continued,
“There was this thing where I had an unrealistic expectation that I could somehow contort my face to look exactly like Elvis. Or I looked at other people, and I go, ‘They look more like him,’ that sort of thing — you start judging yourself. So for me, Rami was like, ‘At the end of the day, it’s not about that. You don’t want to go to the Wax Museum and just see that. You want to see your soul and his soul colliding and creating something we’ve never seen before.'”
The advice he received from his fellow actor, Malek, who has done many iconic roles and starred in dozens of iconic movies, helped Austin Butler, who gave a phenomenal performance and received positive reviews from fans and audiences alike.
Austin Butler on Portraying the role of Late Musical Legend Elvis Presley
In an interview with NME, Austin Butler shared his experience depicting the high-profile role of the late musical legend Elvis Presley in Elvis.
He shared,
“I was walking out in the famous black leather outfit, and I was terrified. I’d done so much work, but at that moment, I thought, ‘If this doesn’t go well, the whole film could fall apart, and my career’s over. It’s make or break. Getting to collaborate with Baz, Tom, and Olivia [DeJonge, who plays Priscilla, Elvis’ wife] and… be part of Elvis’ legacy, it’s so special. Being at this place in my career where I’m able to work with other artists, actors, and directors that I’ve admired for so long and get to make stories that really excite me, I just truly feel blessed.”
Austin Butler played the role flawlessly, received critical acclaim, and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, but he once claimed that while he was prepping and doing research, he panicked. He previously revealed that he was nervous about playing the role of an icon on the silver screen and spent over two years getting into his character.
Source: Pop Sugar
