Austin Butler Vows His 'Getting Rid' Of His Elvis Accent After Being Trolled Online
By Favour Adegoke on February 4, 2023 at 5:00 AM EST
Austin Butler is intentional about losing his Elvis accent.
The Golden Globe winner shared during his recent appearance on "The Graham Norton Show" that he was "getting rid of the accent" after several social media users pointed out that he still speaks like the late rocker.
Vocal coach, Irene Bartlett, said the actor was not faking the accent in an interview after the Golden Globe award ceremony, saying that Butler spent a long time training to speak like that, which made it difficult to lose the accent.
Butler will star next in the second installment of "Dune" alongside a slew of Hollywood stars, including former wrestler Dave Bautista.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Austin Butler Is 'Getting Rid' Of The Elvis Presley Accent
At his guest appearance on "The Graham Norton Show," Butler acknowledged recurring social media opinions that he still speaks with an Elvis accent despite several months having elapsed since filming wrapped up the flick.
Throughout the three-year film's development, the 30-year-old actor had thoroughly immersed himself in his part as the late musician, receiving intensive vocal and method acting training.
However, he claimed he was now actively making moves to rid himself of the accent, although he joked that his vocal cords had significantly suffered from repeatedly singing some of Elvis' songs for the film.
"I am getting rid of the accent, but I have probably damaged my vocal cords with all that singing," the actor said on the show, per Insider. "One song took 40 takes."
The biographical film, directed by Baz Luhrman, debuted in June 2022, making more than three times its $85 million budget at the box office. It also garnered critical acclaim for its screenplay and Butler's performance.
Austin Butler's Vocal Coach Defends His Elvis Accent
The actor won the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Actor thanks to his work in the movie. While receiving his award, it became apparent that he still had an Elvis accent in his voice.
Many online naysayers thought Butler purposely kept his Elvis voice to benefit from the notoriety the role provided him. But those who worked on Elvis had a different account.
Bartlett, one of Butler's vocal coaches on the film, shared after the award ceremony that the actor's accent was real and wasn't an act.
She also explained that getting rid of the accent was difficult because he spent too much time working on himself to perfect it.
Bartlett said, per Page Six, "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."
'I Don't Think I Sound Like Him Still'
Last year, Butler echoed Bartlett's sentiment during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"At this point, I keep asking people, 'Is this my voice?'" he said at the time, per Insider. "It's one of those things where certain things trigger it. When you live with something for two years, and you do nothing else, I think that you can't help it. It becomes a fiber of your being."
However, he would later vehemently refute that he still retains the accent in an interview with the press backstage at the 2023 Golden Globes.
"I don't think I sound like him still, but I guess I must because I hear it all the time," he said, per Insider. "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."
Austin Butler Set To Star In 'Dune 2'
Austin Butler's next significant role will have him star as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two. His character is the brother of Glossu Rabban, played by former wrestler Dave Bautista.
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" actor recently shared that Butler had lost the accent, contrary to what is believed by social media users.
"I don't know who this guy was, but it's not Austin Butler," Bautista said about Butler's portrayal of his Dune character in an interview with USA Today, per Insider. "It's not Elvis. His voice is different, his look is different. Everything about his demeanor is terrifying."
He also commented on his colleague's character saying the Golden Globe winner is "just the sweetest guy you'll ever meet."
"Dune 2" is expected to debut in cinemas in November 2023.