Elvis star Austin Butler responds to fans who think he's stuck using the King's voice. The Baz Luhrmann-directed musical biopic chronicles the life of an American icon, Elvis Presley, through the perspective of his unethical manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. To embody the King of Rock and Roll, the movie cast up-and-comer Austin Butler who went through an extensive period of preparation to capture Elvis Presley's deep speaking and singing voice for the film. In past interviews, Butler has admitted that, after speaking in it for so long, he's had trouble shaking the voice during his everyday life.
At the 2023 Golden Globes, Austin Butler was honored with the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama award for his Elvis portrayal. During his acceptance speech, many viewers noticed that Butler still sounds like he's speaking in Elvis Presley's iconic voice.
In the Golden Globes press room shortly after accepting his award (via Variety), Butler responded to those who think he still sounds like Elvis, saying he doesn't think so though everyone says he does. He did acknowledge the reasons why that could be the case. Check out Butler's full comments below, and see some fan reactions to the whole Elvis voice situation:
"Yeah, I don't even think about it. I don't think I sound like him still, but I guess I must because I hear it a lot. I think... You know I often liken it to when somebody lives in another country for a long time... I had three years worth that was my only focus in life, so I'm sure that there is pieces of my DNA that will always be linked in that way."
Why Butler's Performance As Elvis Is A Frontrunner For Best Actor
Perhaps Austin Butler still speaking in Elvis Presley's voice is a testament to his intense commitment to the role. This is a large part of the reason why, especially after taking home the Golden Globe for best dramatic performance, Butler could be considered the frontrunner in the Oscar race for Best Actor. However, he will have some competition from Colin Farrell, whose performance in The Banshees of Inisherin earned him the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
The Academy Awards, which will announce their nominations on January 24 ahead of their ceremony on March 12, do not split their acting awards into drama and comedy. Based on the Golden Globes, Austin Butler and Colin Farrell will be pitted head-to-head in the Best Actor category, though the Elvis actor arguably has the edge due to his transformative portrayal of an iconic figure. Brendan Fraser will also be a part of the Oscar conversation for his moving performance in The Whale. However, with Butler beating out Fraser for the Golden Globe, which is often predictive of the Oscar winner, the Elvis actor could be considered the favorite at this point.
What's Next For Austin Butler?
Austin Butler has already completed filming a few projects, which are waiting to be released. He leads the Masters of Air cast, a World War II miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg - coming to Apple TV+ sometime this year - and the motorcycle gang movie, The Bikeriders, which is also without a release date. The most anticipated of Butler's upcoming roles is Dune: Part Two, releasing on November 3, in which he will play the primary antagonist Feyd-Rautha. Hopefully, Butler doesn't bring his Elvis voice to Arrakis​​​​​​.
Source: Variety, Various (see links above)