Elvis star Austin Butler says he was left bedridden after filming Baz Luhrmann's upcoming film. Butler stars as the rock 'n roll King in the biopic, which will follow Presley's humble beginnings through to his eventual status as a musical and onscreen icon. Alongside Butler, Elvis also stars Tom Hanks as Elvis Presley’s talent manager, Colonel Tom Parker, and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley.
While Austin Butler has been acting for over 15 years, the 30-year-old has yet to be a leading man until now. As a teenager, Butler played background roles in Disney shows such as Wizards of Waverly Place and small roles in Nickelodeon shows including Zoey 101 and Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. From there, the actor took on a series of one-off TV roles, and more recently played a supporting character in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Denzel Washington was ultimately to thank for Butler's Elvis casting, after the actor called Luhrmann personally to recommend him for the part due to his exceptional work ethic.
However, it seems that work ethic sometimes had its down sides, too. Speaking to GQ, Butler revealed that he was left bedridden after Elvis' production. When filming wrapped in March 2021, the actor found himself very unwell after committing so much of his energy to Presley's character for so long. After being moved to hospital, Butler was later diagnosed with a virus that "simulates appendicitis." Read his full quote below:
“The next day I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to hospital ... My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis.”
Butler's commitment to his Elvis role speaks to both the impressive work ethic that Washington promised, as well as what was likely an intense shooting process on Luhrmann's film. Previous Elvis trailers have already teased Butler's uncanny portrayal of Presley's iconic dance moves and high-energy performances, and these scenes likely took a lot of skill and work to pull off. What's more, Elvis is set to be an emotional story and performance, as Butler will be taking on a character whose personal life and relationship with fame was tumultuous and often intense.
Ultimately,it is clear that Butler proved his promised work ethic through his commitment to his Elvis role. Thankfully, it seems as though his poor health bout was only temporary, and the star is now well and training up for his next role as the villain Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune 2. This, too, will likely require plenty of energy and hard work from the actor, so his time working with Luhrmann to bring the iconic Elvis Presley to life will set up him up well for taking on yet another well-known figure. Audiences will discover whether Butler's performance lives up to Washington's initial praise when Elvis hit theaters on June 24, 2022.
Source: GQ
