Austin Butler, star of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, has recently shared the best piece of acting advice he has ever received from co-star Tom Hanks. The upcoming film Elvis has high expectations for being a successful summer blockbuster, and lots of pressure to perform well at the box office too.
Warner Bros.' Elvis is set to tell the story of rock legend Elvis Presley's rise to fame and detail the complicated, difficult relationship the singer had with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Butler will be starring in the titular role while Academy Award-winning actor Hanks will be portraying the character of Parker, alongside cast members Kodi Smit-McPhee, Olivia DeJonge, and Dacre Montgomery. Luhrmann's attachment to the project was announced back in 2014, although the film had already been in development for several years at that point. The famous director is perhaps most known for his films The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge! Luhrmann has teamed up with writers Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner in order to best captivate Elvis' story to bring to the big screen.
Now, in a recent interview with GQ, Butler revealed the amount of pressure he felt taking on the role of a previous legend. He also revealed a helpful piece of advice that his co-star Hanks offered him while on set to show support. Butler stated, "Hanks' advice was] 'Every day I try to read something that has nothing to do with the job that I’m doing.' That gave me permission, because up till that point, I was only reading everything to do with Elvis. I was only listening to Elvis. It was Elvis's influences and Elvis himself and nothing else."
Elvis seems as though it may in fact be a breakout role for Butler, whose previous work includes various appearances and offshoots in The Carrie Diaries and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The young actor also opened up and explained the deep, personal connection he shares with Elvis - grief. Both Elvis and Butler lost their mothers at just 23 years old, and Butler also revealed that his audition for the role involved him singing “Unchained Melody” in tribute to his mother.
Hank's words of wisdom speak volumes, as it seems as though Butler may have gotten too attached and consumed within playing Elvis that he got a little bit stuck throughout the process. Butler's personal bond that he does feel with Elvis will undoubtedly shine through his performance, but Hanks is right in that it’s also important to keep things in perspective - to make sure that character or role is not the only thing occupying your mind because that can undoubtedly lead to over-thinking. Fans don’t have to wait too much longer to see Butler's performance.
Elvis is set to hit theaters on June 24, 2022.
Source: GQ