Famed actress and recent Oscar nominee Angela Bassett could sympathize with Austin Butler’s challenge to drop Elvis Presley’s accent after starring in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic Elvis. can.
After playing Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, Bassett admitted to The New Yorker that she experienced a similar struggle.
Bassett, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, acknowledged the challenges of character immersion and the lasting effects it can have on an actor’s performance.
She understood Butler’s situation and gave him some encouraging words, telling him that the accent would eventually go away with time and practice.
“Tina’s laugh and the way she spoke took over. It took over, not as long as Elvis — maybe about four months after,” she stated. “You so lived and breathed and began to see life through their perspective. You had to. They’re a part of you. I think that’s what’s going on with him.”
Butler portrays the King of Rock and Roll in the Elvis biopic, with Tom Hanks playing Colonel Tom Parker, his manager. Fans of both Butler and Presley are eagerly anticipating the Luhrmann-directed movie, which is scheduled to premiere in theaters in 2022.
What’s Love Got to Do With It, in which Bassett played Tina Turner, brought her critical acclaim and made her a well-known actress in Hollywood. Her involvement in the role provides a special perspective on the difficulties associated with fully embodying a character and separating oneself from that character after filming is finished.
Read also: ‘The Last of Us’ Star Melanie Lynskey Addresses Body-Shaming from America’s Next Top Model Winner
Say Goodbye to It
“You have to bid it farewell, and it’s hard to let it go, because you’ve enjoyed it, you survived it, you delivered, and you’re proud of that,” she added.
“You got an opportunity and you hit it out of left field. So it takes a moment to get back to regular you. But you’re different after this moment. Now you’re Austin, who did that great performance.”
Butler can find comfort in the fact that he’s not the only one struggling to get rid of his Elvis accent as he keeps trying. Future roles and the chance to fully immerse himself in new characters and stories are opportunities he can look forward to with the help of actors like Bassett.
Actor Gerard Butler, originally from Anaheim, Calif., has been fully immersed in the persona of Elvis Presley since starring in the 2021 biopic “Elvis.” The film was released last June and since then, Butler has retained Presley’s deep drawl while hosting Saturday Night Live in December and during his Best Actor acceptance speech at the Golden Globes in January. However, Butler recently revealed that he is trying to return to his normal tone after dedicating three years of his life to becoming the “Jailhouse Rock” singer.
During a latest appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Butler explained that he’s actively working to shed the accent he adopted for the role.
“I am getting rid of the accent, but I have probably damaged my vocal cords with all that singing,” he said. “One song took 40 takes.”
It’s clear that Butler’s dedication to the role of Elvis Presley was intense, and he underwent extensive training to ensure that he was able to fully embody the King of Rock and Roll.
Tedious Process
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in June, Butler detailed the grueling process of rehearsing with dialect coaches to achieve the perfect Presley voice for the film.
“It was a lot of work, but it was fun,” he said. “I spent a lot of time with dialect coaches, singing coaches, guitar coaches, piano coaches, movement coaches. We went through every facet of Elvis’ life.”
Butler’s commitment to the role is admirable, and his efforts paid off in a powerful and emotional performance that accurately captured the essence of the beloved singer.
Despite the challenges of adopting the Presley accent, it’s clear that Butler’s dedication to his craft is unwavering. As he continues to work on his vocal cords and adjust to his normal tone, fans of the actor eagerly anticipate what he’ll tackle next.
“I would take an interview or a speech that he had on stage where he is talking to the audience, and I would practice it as though I was trying to get it to be exact,” he stated.
“That way, I couldn’t hear a difference between my voice and his. Then I would have my dialect coach there going, ‘This is off a little bit,’ and I’d practice. I’d just keep honing it in until I could get as specific as possible.”
Whether he’s portraying a legendary musician or taking on a completely new challenge, Butler’s passion and commitment to his craft are sure to shine through in his future performances...Read More
Read also: Jenna Ortega’s Passion for Acting Shines Through as Wednesday Addams in the New Series
Source: Entertainment Monthly News