Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Sofia Coppola. Disney
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, News, Jacob Elordi
Charisa Bossinakis
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, News, Jacob Elordi
Jacob Elordi has admitted he first became aware of Elvis Presley through the Disney cartoon Lilo and Stitch.
This is just about the most Gen Z thing someone could say.
While appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Elordi, who plays the iconic singer in Sophia Coppola’s new movie Priscilla, confessed he merely knew about the King of Rock and Roll through the animated 2002 film.
When asked if he was a big fan before shooting commenced, Elodi told the talk show host: "The most I knew of Elvis [Presley] was in Lilo & Stitch.
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"Which is a lot!"
For those of you playing at home, Lilo converts Stitch into an Elvis fan in the movie, having him wear the famed white jumpsuit while playing the ukulele in one scene.
However, thankfully, the Euphoria actor did a little more research while preparing for the audition.
The Aussie star admitted that he believed he had ‘no chance’ of scoring the prestigious role, and before reading his sides, he watched some archival footage of the legend.
"Sofia had sent me these sides that said Elvis and I kinda just was like, 'There's no chance that this is happening,'" he recalled.
"I watched this clip of him when he came back from the Army in Germany and read the lines for like 15 minutes and then shot two takes not thinking it would go anywhere."
The actor went on to say that working with the director was ‘pure bliss’.
"The whole time I was trying to take it like I was making Blue Valentine or something. A straight-up relationship drama, without Elvis or Priscilla, for Sofia Coppola. That was the goal,” he said while describing his approach.
The film, set to be released later this month, is based on the memoir Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley.
The upcoming movie has already attracted significant backlash as the story begins with a 14-year-old Priscilla groomed by a 24-year-old Elvis.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, Coppola discussed the controversy and how she navigated depicting the couple's significant age gap.
She told the outlet: “It was tricky. I kept coming back to her perspective and her point of view.
"And I try not to be judgmental of any of the characters and really be as sympathetic as I can to each of them.
"And I’m really focused on her perspective, but even with the parents, you’re like, 'How can anybody let their kid go live with Elvis that young'?”