Austin Butler Was Hospitalized Immediately After Wrapping Up Filming For ‘Elvis’

Actor Austin Butler reportedly had to be admitted into the hospital after filming “Elvis.” Filming for the biopic initially kicked off in January 2020 in Australia; however, production had to be paused after Tom Hanks got diagnosed with COVID-19 but eventually continued by the end of the year.

The storyline will revolve around the music icon’s rise to fame and his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). Baz Luhrmann directed the film and co-wrote the script with Sam Bromell, Jeremy Doner, and Craig Pearce.

In a recent interview, the lead character, Butler, disclosed that just a day after the show wrapped up production, he had to be taken to the hospital because his body “started shutting down.” The hospital visit lasted a week and revealed the presence of an illness that inflamed his appendix.

Butler revealed that he had to be rushed to the hospital a day after Luhrmann’s “Elvis” wrapped up because his body “started shutting down.” The actor played the titular role in the biopic and spent a whole week in the hospital.

According to his GQ interview, the 30-year-old was reportedly diagnosed with a virus that simulated appendicitis. The condition inflamed his appendix, resulting in the compulsory bed rest.

Butler said, “The next day, I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to the hospital. My body just started shutting down the day after I finished ‘Elvis.’ The actor reportedly totally immersed himself in his role as the rock legend.

Further on in the interview, Butler revealed that the show was initially set to start filming in March 2020 but was halted a few days early because Hanks, a key character, was diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19. Production was held off indefinitely but resumed in September 2020.

During the pause, Butler was initially meant to be taken back to his home in Los Angeles; however, the 30-year-old declined. He decided to stay in Australia, where filming was supposed to start and used the time to dig deeper into his character. Talking about the time, Butler revealed that his apartment mainly housed several pictures of Elvis from different periods.

“Just images of Elvis everywhere, from every time period,” he said. “I think the film would have been very different if we had started shooting at that point, and I’m grateful I had the time to let myself marinate.”

To better play the role of Elvis, Butler revealed that he had to read, watch and listen to everything related to the artist. He was able to master walking, talking, and singing like him. A movement coach named Polly Bennett is reportedly responsible for teaching the actor how to move like Elvis.

Among the things he did to get closer to the character, the 30-year-old went on a pilgrimage to Graceland and paid his respects to the singing icon’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley. In response, Priscilla hugged the actor and reassured him that he had a lot of support.

Talking about the meeting, Butler said, “She looked like an angel. I walked down the hall with Baz afterward with tears in my eyes.” He also highlighted other aspects of his and Elvis’ lives that linked them.

“His mother passed away when he was 23, and my mum passed away when I was 23,” he said. “So when I learned that, it was one of those things where I got chills, and I just thought, Okay, I can connect to that.” Luhrmann also revealed that Elvis and Butler were similar due to their intense spirituality.

Although the movie is yet to be released to the public, Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, has nothing but good things to say about the biopic and Butler’s performance. She came on Twitter early this month and described the film as “nothing short of spectacular” and “absolutely exquisite.”

https://twitter.com/LisaPresley/status/1525606822878449664?s=20&t=oZzqOz5IcuLLVZ8DI0uN5A

“Let me tell you that it is nothing short of spectacular. Absolutely exquisite,” she wrote. “Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father’s heart & soul beautifully.” In another tweet, Lisa said, “In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully. (If he doesn’t get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha).”

The biopic will be released to North American theaters on June 24 but will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this month. Other actors in “Elvis” include Yola Quartey, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp2BNHwbwvI