Get to Know Austin Butler: 5 Fast Facts About the Actor Playing Elvis Presley
Get to Know Austin Butler: 5 Fast Facts About the Actor Playing Elvis Presley
7/15/2019 by Ellise Shafer
The King has been crowned. It was announced Monday (July 15) that Austin Butler has won the coveted lead role in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming biopic of Elvis Presley, beating out Harry Styles, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who were also reportedly in the running.
Though Butler has been in the business since his teenage years, this will be his first starring credit on the silver screen. Clearly elated about the news, he shared a screenshot of the Deadline article accompanied by lyrics to Elvis' "Love Me Tender": "You have made my life complete, and I love you so."
Since snagging this part is sure to be career-altering for Butler, here are five fast facts about the soon-to-be megastar.
1. He can sing
In order to be Elvis, Butler has to have the voice to match. And though there are no recent recordings of his abilities, he has played musicians before in cameo appearances on iCarly in 2007 and on Are You There, Chelsea? in 2012. Hear the evidence below.
2. His girlfriend can too
If Butler needs help on his vocals, he has the perfect mentor in girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens, whom he has been dating since 2011. Besides her breakout role in the High School Musical franchise, Hudgens starred in Gigi on Broadway as well as Grease: Live and Rent: Live. Hudgens also posted on her Instagram about Butler's new gig, writing, "I AMMMM OVERRRR THE FUCKING MOOOOOOOOONNNNN."
3. TV has been his mainstay
Butler is best known for his portrayal of Sebastian Kydd on CW's short-lived The Carrie Diaries, proving he can pull off the bad-boy retro look. Before that, he held smaller parts in shows such as Switched at Birth, Zoey 101 and Hannah Montana.
4. His work on stage is critically acclaimed
In 2014, he made his theater debut in a Los Angeles production of Death of the Author. More recently, his involvement in the 2018 Broadway production of The Iceman Cometh, opposite Denzel Washington, earned him a rave review from The New Yorker's Hilton Als, who wrote: "Though there are many performers in George C. Wolfe’s staging of Eugene O’Neill’s... 'The Iceman Cometh'... there is only one actor, and his name is Austin Butler."
5. He's getting serious about film
This year, Butler has risen in the silver-screen ranks with roles in two high-profile releases: Jim Jarmusch's zombie flick The Dead Don't Die and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, which comes out July 26. Luhrmann's Elvis project seems like a natural progression, as Butler has clearly caught the eye of Hollywood's tastemakers.
Music
via https://www.DMT.NEWS
Ellise Shafer, Khareem Sudlow
