Austin Butler’s portrayal of singer and actor Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s epic biopic Elvis (2022) was so remarkable that some aspects of the embodiment seeped into reality. Take, for example, Butler’s Elvis-esque voice, which was the talk of the town for months even after the film’s production had concluded. Many fans believed that the actor’s Method acting techniques had taken a toll on him. They wouldn’t be the only ones to assume so.
The 32-year-old actor’s dedication to portraying the King of Rock and Roll was demonstrated by the numerous tales of horror detailing what he had to go through to attain such near perfection. Butler recently recounted in an interview how his co-star Tom Hanks had to come to his aid. The Forrest Gump actor became apprehensive about the former’s mental condition after Elvis wrapped. As a result, the senior actor approached Butler with an enticing proposal.
Take a look.
A Concerned Tom Hanks Offered Austin Butler A Role In Masters of the Air
Austin Butler articulated to The Times of London how he landed a role in Masters of the Air, an upcoming war-drama television miniseries. The Apple TV+ show’s executive producers are Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. After the Elvis star was finished with Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic premise, co-star Hanks, who played Elvis Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker in the film, couldn’t help but grow wary of the leading actor’s mental health.
It had taken Butler years to prepare for the character and stay in it. Having to detach himself from the rollercoaster ride would entail a harsh drop. Veteran actor Tom Hanks had perhaps sensed this. Therefore, to keep the star occupied with something else, the Saving Private Ryan alum came to Austin Butler with a proposition.
As per Butler, Hanks told him the following:
“You have immersed yourself so deeply in Elvis that, for your mental health, it would be wise to go straight into something else. If you just jump off the train, you might have emotional whiplash… and, you know, I’ve got this thing I’m producing.’”
Delving into the intricacies of his depiction, Butler also affirmed that Elvis had allowed him to challenge the boundaries of creation and expression. In his words, he had “to go to the very edge of what is possible.” This isn’t a lie. To get into the role, the actor utilized a few tactics, some of which are bound to elicit concern.
Austin Butler’s Elvis Diet Consisted Of Melted Ice Cream
Butler needed to gain weight to play an elder version of the renowned cultural figure in Elvis. Instead of going for the conventional options, the actor chose an interesting recipe to incorporate into his diet: microwaved Häagen-Dazs. The Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood alum essentially drank melted ice cream. Sometimes he’d spice things up and get himself two dozen doughnuts to chow down on. Alas, this sort of diet is bound to have certain ramifications on one’s psyche. Butler confirmed, “It’s fun for a week, and then you feel awful about yourself.”
This is barely touching the tip of the iceberg, though. The actor also made headlines for stating that he didn’t see his family for three years during the making of Elvis. He devoted hours to prep work and then had to fly off to Australia. Austin Butler emphasized that he went months without talking to anyone. If he was required to conversate, he’d do it while continuously thinking about and fundamentally, being Elvis Presley.
Read also: Elvis Star Austin Butler Lost Golden Opportunity To Star in $1.4 Billion Tom Cruise Mega-Classic
Butler has also said that portraying the part caused him to lose touch with himself. He felt detached from his reality and who he truly was. It didn’t help when the actor was immediately bedridden after finishing production on the film. “My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis,” said the star.
With tales like this, one would wonder whether or not art is worth the suffering. Opinions would differ on the matter. Nevertheless, we can only hope that Tom Hanks’ WW2-centric period piece miniseries has been able to offer Austin Butler some solace and relief from his intense Method acting techniques.
Elvis is available for streaming on Max.
Source: The Times of London & GQ
