Austin Butler Says He Doesn’t Think He Still Talks Like Elvis, but ‘I’m Sure There’s Pieces of Him in My DNA’
Austin Butler #AustinButler
Austin Butler is a Golden Globe winner now, which means fans got to hear his voice — off the big screen — during his acceptance speech.
And some fans think Butler, 31, has experienced lasting effects from his role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis beyond just awards buzz: the internet speculated that he might still be using some of the character’s distinctive voice in his own speech. But Butler’s not so sure.
“I didn’t even think about it,” Butler said backstage after accepting the award for best actor in a motion picture, drama. “I don’t think I sound like him still, but I guess I must, because I hear it all the time.”
He continued, “I often liken it to when somebody lives in another country for a long time. I had three years where that was my only focus, so I’m sure there’s pieces of him in my DNA and I will always be linked to him.”
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“I just feel so grateful right now,” he later added of his win. “I’m sort of still coming back from blacking out.”
Aside from Butler’s voice, thinking of Elvis Presley during his acceptance speech was unavoidable, as the actor saluted the music legend, as Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie and former wife Priscilla were in attendance to celebrate the moment.
“Thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me,” Butler said to the Presley family. “Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever.”
After thanking his own family and his late mother, Butler toasted “Elvis Presley himself.”
“You were an icon, and a rebel, and I love you so much. Thank you,” he said. “You are remembered, and I will never forget.”
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The Elvis star previously spoke about his voice during his monologue on Saturday Night Live in December, when he revealed he wanted to “address something.”
“There’s people out there who say that ever since I played Elvis, my voice has changed. That it got deeper, more Elvis-y,” he said. “But that’s not true, I’ve always sounded like this, and I can prove it. Here’s a clip from an interview I did 10 years ago.”
Of course, the clip Butler showed was all part of the punchline — a doctored video of him doing an interview about The Carrie Diaries, with his voice pitched up like a chipmunk.
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The 80th Golden Globe Awards ceremony is airing live on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
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