The King of Rock 'n Roll finally has a biopic, and Austin Butler is all shook up about it.
Butler stars as Elvis Presley, himself, in Baz Lurhmann's "Elvis," alongside Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. The film dominated box offices in its opening weekend, propelling Butler and his performance into the spotlight. In an exclusive interview with Advocate Channel Las Vegas correspondent Rachel Smith, the actor shared how he's been staying grounded in the wake of his success.
"I've been trying to take those silent moments, just really appreciate where I am right now," Butler said. "I feel so grateful."
"Elvis" premiered on June 24 to widely positive reviews. It is currently inching closer to breaking $100 million domestically, as its third weekend comes to a close.
But it wasn't just audiences who fell in love with the movie. The Presley family also attended the premiere alongside Butler, praising the film for how it "honors" the musician's life and legacy. According to the actor, that was the most nerve-wracking part, as he explained,
"I poured everything I had into it, and then I'm sitting there in the theater the first time going, 'I don't know how this is gonna turn out.' And I'm just so proud of what everyone did in the film, and so grateful for the way it's being received. Especially with his family, I just feel so happy."
After portraying the King for the past two years, Butler's career is forever altered by the singer's legacy. Still, his almost overnight success has left Butler with several lessons to take from the icon.
"There's many things. The one that really sticks out to me is my relationship to fear. The fact that Elvis felt those feelings -- he was the shy kid, he felt stage fright all throughout his career -- and yet he did such extraordinary things," Butler told Smith. "You don't have to not feel the fears. It's that you feel it, and you go out there and you channel that in some way. That's a big thing he taught me."
"Elvis" is currently in theaters internationally.
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