Commitment to the role. Austin Butler found himself in a frightening situation after finishing filming Elvis last year.
When the 30-year-old graduate of The Carrie Diaries finished work on the film in March 2021, he immediately had to face health problems. “The next day I woke up at 4 a.m. in excruciating pain, and I was rushed to the hospital,” the California native recalled in an interview with GQ published on Wednesday, May 25.
“My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis,” Butler added, noting that he had been diagnosed with a virus that mimics appendicitis. He recovered after spending a week bedridden.
The health of the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” actor wasn’t the only thing that changed after he played Elvis Presley in the biopic, which hits theaters on June 24. “My family said I don’t look like myself anymore,” he said. the outlet.
Butler landed the lead role in July 2019, more than five years after director Baz Luhrmann began developing the project. Family members of the late rock icon praised the actor’s performance after watching the first screenings of the film.
“This is a true story, told brilliantly and creatively, which only Baz with his unique artistic style could convey,” Priscilla Presley, who was married to the Jailhouse Rock singer from 1967 to 1973, wrote on Facebook in April. “Austin Butler, who played Elvis, is just outstanding. …Bravo to him… he knew he had big things to do.”
The 77-year-old Dallas graduate later said that Lisa Maria Presley, her daughter from the pop legend, also liked the film.
“I’ve seen Elvis in the movie, I’ve watched the trailer more than a dozen times. But the words I heard from my daughter about how much she loves this movie and that [Lisa’s daughter] Riley [Keo] will also love it when she sees it, brought tears,” Priscilla wrote on Instagram in May 2022. “I relived every moment. in this movie. It took me a few days to overcome my emotions, as it was with Lisa. Beautifully done by Baz, Tom [Hanks], Austin and Olivia [DeJong].”
Elvis’ granddaughter Kio, 32, said watching the film was an “emotional experience” but she was happy that Luhrmann, 59, was the director in charge of the project.
“The first movie I saw at the cinema and said I wanted to make films was Moulin Rouge!, I was 12 years old,” actress Zola told Variety earlier this month. “It was a real honor for me to find out that Baz is starring in this movie. …It’s not that I don’t trust the Base in any way, but you’re protecting your family.
