When Austin Butler starred in Elvis he landed the role of a lifetime playing the famous icon. However, it seems that the film has left a lasting impression on Butler in more ways than one.
Filming ended in March 2021, but it seems the actor is still using a baritone Southern drawl to speak like Elvis. Some are starting to question whether it will last forever. Irene Bartlett, Butler’s vocal instructor, explained to ABC Gold Coast why Butler’s voice still sounded like Elvis.
She claims that because Butler was criticised for continuing to sound like the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll during his 2023 Golden Globes acceptance speech, his new accent is here to stay.
Austin Butler: Genuine Accent
“What you saw in that Golden Globes speech, that’s him. It’s genuine, it’s not put on,” Irene Bartlett said on ABC’s “Gold Coast” on Monday.
She added, “I feel sorry people are saying that, you know, it’s still acting [but] he’s actually taken [the voice of Presley] on board.”
Bartlett noted that she doesn’t know how long he may talk like the “Hound Dog” singer, but that his accent could “be there forever.”
“Because of COVID shutdowns, he was working on it all the time and it’s difficult to switch off something you’ve spent so much focus [and] time on,” she said.
The actor dedicated his life to the role
The 31-year-old previously said he put his life on “pause” for two years to prep for the role.
The voice coach also shared how Butler was able to train with her to sound more like Presley.
“Basically what I look for is what their natural singing voice is doing. I strip away all the effects someone is putting on, and I go, ‘What does this natural voice sound like?’ And what is working and what needs help in terms of enhancement, in terms of support, flexibility, stamina, all those things,” she said.
Butler won an award for his role in Elvis
The actor took home a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for his leading role in the Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic last week.
However, Austin Butler was trolled for giving his acceptance speech in an accent that resembled Presley’s southern twang, despite being born and raised just outside of Los Angeles.
“So that fake Elvis accent is just Austin Butler’s voice now, huh #GoldenGlobes,” one viewer tweeted at the time.
Another joked, “Has Elvis’ ghost taken over Austin Butler? Sir blink twice if you need help #goldenglobes.”
The actor reacted to the backlash by saying he believes he was speaking in his normal accent and that his voice has not changed.
Butler believes he does not sound like Presley now
“I don’t think I sound like [Presley] still, but I guess I must because I hear it a lot,” he told reporters last week.
He added, “I had three years where that was my only focus. So, I’m sure there’s pieces of him in my DNA and I’ll always be linked.”
The actor addressed his voice change back in June and said “there’s a trigger” being surrounded by Presley’s name everywhere.
“You spend so much time obsessing about one thing, and it really is like muscular habits, your mouth can change,” he had told Elle Australia. “It’s pretty amazing. I know that I’m constantly changing. Check in with me in 20 years when I’ve played a lot of roles. Who knows what I’ll sound like!”
The actor is mourning over the death of Lisa Marie Presley
The Carrie Diaries actor is currently mourning the loss of Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who died last week at the age of 54 after going into cardiac arrest.
Lisa Marie, along with her mom Priscilla, had just attended the Golden Globes to support Austin Butler days before her death. Butler had thanked Lisa Marie and Priscilla for their support during his acceptance speech, bringing the mother-daughter duo to tears.
“My heart is completely shattered for Riley, Finley, Harper and Priscilla at the tragic and unexpected loss of Lisa Marie,” Butler said in a statement to E! News last week, referring to the singer’s daughters and mother.