Meeting Austin Butler For The First Time Brought Lisa Marie Presley To Tears
Actor Austin Butler spent two years preparing to take on the role of Elvis Presley — a job that has been done before by other stars, but perhaps not quite in the same way. In an interview with Deadline, Butler opened up about the role, saying that he really wanted to do Presley's family proud. "I felt this deep duty to them, because of the fact that he was so human to them. So, I know that was one thing that was at the core of it for me, as far as legacy goes," he confessed to the outlet.
Butler was given an opportunity to meet Elvis' wife, Priscilla Presley, and the couple's only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, which helped him understand the late great entertainer even more. "I know in moments when I met Lisa Marie or I met Priscilla, Elvis ceased to be this icon. In those moments you realize so deeply how he is a father, and he is a husband and a son," the 31-year-old told Deadline.
Both Priscilla and Lisa Marie took a liking to Butler, and the two women praised the work he had done to bring the "Blue Christmas" crooner to life on the big screen in a way that they both approved of. While doing press for the film, "Elvis," Butler recalled meeting Lisa Marie for the first time and noted that the two shared a very special moment the day they first met. And, based on how he told the story, it's an interaction he'll never forget.
Lisa Marie Presley & Austin Butler talked 'for hours' when they first met
Lisa Marie Presley was the only daughter of Elvis Presley, who died in 1977 when she was just nine years old. Lisa Marie Presley, who tragically died on January 12 after suffering cardiac arrest (per TMZ), was very close to her dad and always spoke highly of him. When she met Austin Butler after he finished filming the "Elvis" movie, she couldn't help but cry. "She hugged me with tears in her eyes, and she just said, 'Thank you,'" Butler recalled in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "She took me upstairs and we went into Elvis' bedroom and just sat on his bed and just talked for hours," he added.
During a Golden Globes pre-party just a few days prior to her death, Lisa Marie echoed Butler's sentiments. "I'm so proud. And I know that my father would also be very proud. So, I want to thank you all for being here and I — I'm so overwhelmed with gratitude, so thank you," she said, according to People. The 54-year-old was a big fan of the "Elvis" movie and of Butler, whom she praised in an Instagram caption months before her tragic passing. Calling the film "nothing short of spectacular," Lisa Marie couldn't say enough wonderful things about the California native. "Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father's heart and soul beautifully. In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully," she wrote.
Lisa Marie Presley supported Austin Butler days before her death
On January 10, Lisa Marie Presley attended the Golden Globes in support of Austin Butler and the cast and crew of "Elvis." In an interview with Billy Bush on the red carpet before the show, Presley spoke candidly about Butler. "I was mind blown," she said of his performance. "Truly. I actually had to take like five days to process it because it was spot on and authentic," she told Extra TV.
During Butler's acceptance speech for his best actor win at the ceremony, he thanked the Presley family for "opening [their] hearts" and their "home" to him. "Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever," he said (via YouTube), looking at the mother and daughter who were seated together at a table not too far from the stage. Presley put her hand over her heart, tapping it a couple of times, and became visibly emotional following Butler's shoutout.
Two days later, TMZ broke the news that Presley had been rushed to a hospital in California after being found unresponsive by her housekeeper. Although emergency personnel was able to get a pulse, the singer was placed on life support and was listed in critical condition a short time later. Within a few hours, Priscilla Presley confirmed that her daughter had died. "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us," Priscilla said in a statement to People.