Austin Butleris still all shook up over his starring role.On Wednesday, the 30-year-oldElvisactor took a moment onThe Tonight Showto tell the host, “I’m onJimmy Fallontalking about playingElvis Presley… it just blows my mind.“During his appearance, Butler also took the audience through a few different impressions of the late singer — whose voice, mannerisms and more he studied extensively ahead of his portrayal in the upcomingBaz Luhrmanndrama — from the years 1954 through 1972.“He’s nervous — his voice, at that time,you speak a lot fasterwhen you’re nervous,” Butler said of the “young” version of Presley at age 19, going on to speak in the singer’s 21-year-old voice as well.Of Presley in 1972, the actor explained before speaking like the late singer, “At this point, his voice goes more forward than to his face.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Austin Butler.Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via GettyButler recently toldEntertainment Tonighthe has realized his voice sometimes still slips into his impersonation of Presley for the film’s titular role, even thoughGQreported that filming ended in March 2021.“It’s one of those things where certain things trigger it,” Butler toldETin an interview published Tuesday. “When you live with something for two years and you do nothing else, I think that you can’t help it. It becomes a fiber of your being.“The actor also toldETthat he tried to emphasizea portrayal of Presley asa human figure and not necessarily the King of Rock & Roll in his performance, explaining that the responsibility of playing such an iconic cultural figure put a “weight like I never felt before” on him.“And there’s a responsibility to his family and also putting his story into context,” Butler said. “That’s the thing. There were so many misconceptions about him; there’s so many ideas of him. So I felt a responsibly to bring the humanity.“Elvis Presley (L); Austin Butler.Getty; Theo Wargo/GettyIn a press conference at theCannes Film Festivallast month, Butler spoke about what it took to become Presley: “I basically put the rest of my life on pause for two years and I just absorbed everything that I possibly could.“He also talked aboutbeing obsessed with his characterand learning more about the iconic “Love Me Tender” singer.“I just went down the rabbit hole of obsession. And I broke down his life into periods of time where I could hear the differences in how his voice changed over the years and how his movement changed over the years and I spent two years studying, trying to find his humanity as best as I could through that,” he said at the time.The actor continued, “The tricky thing is yousee Elvis as this icon, or as the wallpaper of society and finding a way to strip all of that away and find the very human nature of him that was deeper than all of that, that’s what was fascinating for me.“Overall, though intense, Butler said the opportunity was well worthwhile.“The ability to get to explore that was just the joy of my life,” he said.Elvishits theaters June 24 and premieres on HBO Max 45 days later.
Austin Butleris still all shook up over his starring role.
On Wednesday, the 30-year-oldElvisactor took a moment onThe Tonight Showto tell the host, “I’m onJimmy Fallontalking about playingElvis Presley… it just blows my mind.”
During his appearance, Butler also took the audience through a few different impressions of the late singer — whose voice, mannerisms and more he studied extensively ahead of his portrayal in the upcomingBaz Luhrmanndrama — from the years 1954 through 1972.
“He’s nervous — his voice, at that time,you speak a lot fasterwhen you’re nervous,” Butler said of the “young” version of Presley at age 19, going on to speak in the singer’s 21-year-old voice as well.
Of Presley in 1972, the actor explained before speaking like the late singer, “At this point, his voice goes more forward than to his face.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Austin Butler.Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Butler recently toldEntertainment Tonighthe has realized his voice sometimes still slips into his impersonation of Presley for the film’s titular role, even thoughGQreported that filming ended in March 2021.
“It’s one of those things where certain things trigger it,” Butler toldETin an interview published Tuesday. “When you live with something for two years and you do nothing else, I think that you can’t help it. It becomes a fiber of your being.”
The actor also toldETthat he tried to emphasizea portrayal of Presley asa human figure and not necessarily the King of Rock & Roll in his performance, explaining that the responsibility of playing such an iconic cultural figure put a “weight like I never felt before” on him.
“And there’s a responsibility to his family and also putting his story into context,” Butler said. “That’s the thing. There were so many misconceptions about him; there’s so many ideas of him. So I felt a responsibly to bring the humanity.”
Elvis Presley (L); Austin Butler.Getty; Theo Wargo/Getty
In a press conference at theCannes Film Festivallast month, Butler spoke about what it took to become Presley: “I basically put the rest of my life on pause for two years and I just absorbed everything that I possibly could.”
He also talked aboutbeing obsessed with his characterand learning more about the iconic “Love Me Tender” singer.
“I just went down the rabbit hole of obsession. And I broke down his life into periods of time where I could hear the differences in how his voice changed over the years and how his movement changed over the years and I spent two years studying, trying to find his humanity as best as I could through that,” he said at the time.
The actor continued, “The tricky thing is yousee Elvis as this icon, or as the wallpaper of society and finding a way to strip all of that away and find the very human nature of him that was deeper than all of that, that’s what was fascinating for me.”
Overall, though intense, Butler said the opportunity was well worthwhile.
“The ability to get to explore that was just the joy of my life,” he said.
Elvishits theaters June 24 and premieres on HBO Max 45 days later.
source: people.com
