Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Warner Bros.
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity
Lisa McLoughlin
Austin Butler has revealed he didn’t see his friends or family for three years while filming Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis.
The 30-year-old actor portrays rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley in the highly-anticipated flick, which hits cinemas on June 24, and discussed how the role took a toll on his personal life.
Check out the trailer for Elvis below:
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He told E! News' Daily Pop: "What I'm trying to learn is how to balance real life with when you're giving in to the obsession of a role 'cause I didn't see my family for, it turned out to be three years.
"I didn't see any one of my friends for that entire time. So, it was like the rest of my life, suddenly, I compartmentalised."
Despite not seeing his nearest and dearest for so long, the film star said the biggest hurdle to overcome was tapping into Elvis’ humanity during filming in Queensland, Australia.
He added: "It was stripping away the icon, stripping away the caricature and getting down to his humanity.
"And then somehow balancing all those specific things with the fact that it's gotta come from his soul, at the end of the day."
And while filming took a toll on his personal relationships, Butler's health also suffered as he was hospitalised once filming wrapped on the musical biopic.
He was reportedly diagnosed with a virus simulating appendicitis symptoms, and was confined to bed for a week.
He told British GQ last month: "The next day I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to hospital.
"My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis."
Butler's comments come weeks after the film got an incredible 12-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Elvis shares the story of the star's rise to fame and his complex relationship with manager Colonel Tom Parker, played by none other than Tom Hanks.
During the ovation, Butler and Luhrmann could be seen sharing a hug as the rest of the cast celebrated the reaction.
"A 12-minute standing ovation for #ElvisMovie at the #Cannes2022 Premiere. Don't miss Austin Butler and Tom Hanks in THE film of the summer, in cinemas June 24," the official Warner Bros. account wrote.
Presley's wife, Priscilla, has also praised Butler's performance as the singer.
In a post to Facebook, she said: "Austin Butler, who played Elvis is outstanding. Halfway through the film Jerry and I looked at each other and said WOW!!! Bravo to him…he knew he had big shoes to fill. He was extremely nervous playing this part. I can only imagine."
So far it seems, Butler's hard work and sacrifice has paid off.
Elvis hits cinemas on June 24.
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