Jacob Elordi: Exploring the Artistic Diversity of Actors Portraying Elvis Presley
Jacob Elordi and Austin Butler's portrayals of Elvis Presley have sparked comparisons, but Elordi believes that turning art into a competitive battleground is detrimental
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Jacob Elordi doesn’t want people all shook up over his and Austin Butler’s Elvis Presley impersonations.
"I don't understand why people turn art into a competitive sport," expressed Elordi, 26, in an interview with E! News on Friday, November 3. "It's like they transform it into the Colosseum. It's absolutely ridiculous." Elordi also commented that both his and Butler's portrayals of Presley would make for an outstanding double feature.
Butler, 32, took on the role of Presley in Baz Luhrmann's biopic set to release in 2022, earning him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture. On the other hand, Elordi will be playing the King of Rock and Roll in Sofia Coppola's film "Priscilla" in 2023. Inspired by Priscilla Presley's memoir, "Elvis and Me," published in 1985, the movie delves into the love story of Priscilla and Elvis. The couple were married from 1967 to 1973 and had a daughter together, Lisa Marie Presley.
Priscilla, 85, has expressed her support for the film, commending Coppola for her exceptional job. However, the portrayal of her romantic relationship with Elvis, which began when she was 14 and he was 24, has sparked controversy. Lisa Marie, prior to her passing at the age of 54 due to the effects of a small bowel obstruction, openly praised Luhrmann's Elvis but raised concerns regarding Coppola's script. In a series of emails, Lisa Marie urged the director, who also co-wrote the movie, not to proceed with the project.
Lisa Marie expressed her feelings in the September 2022 messages, acquired by Variety, stating that her father appears to be predatory and manipulative. She emphasized that she doesn't perceive any resemblance between her father and the character portrayed in the messages, nor does she see her mother's perspective. Lisa Marie interpreted the messages as reflecting a shockingly vengeful and contemptuous viewpoint, leaving her puzzled about the reasoning behind it.
'Priscilla' A24
Lisa Marie further issued a warning, expressing her intentions to openly voice her opinions on the film as well as publicly oppose both her mother and the movie.
Coppola expressed her hope that Lisa Marie would reconsider her stance once she had the opportunity to view the completed version of the movie. "I hope that upon watching the final film, your perspective will change, and you will recognize that I am approaching the portrayal of your mother with admiration and also addressing your father's character with tact and depth," Coppola responded, as reported by Variety.
Elordi, in response to the suggestion that he was portraying an unconventional side of Elvis, emphasized his commitment to "honoring Priscilla's book" during an interview with E! News on Friday.
"He said that all the information was documented, and he had also discussed it with [Priscilla]. Therefore, his goal was to accurately depict the person and the specific moments she had described. Elordi is experienced in playing complex characters, such as the 'bad boy' Noah Flynn in The Kissing Booth trilogy with Joey King and Joel Courtney, as well as the troubled and sometimes abusive Nate Jacobs on HBO's Euphoria."
When asked why he was “so good at playing troubled men,” Elordi replied, “I don’t know if it’s necessarily always troubled men. It’s just I enjoy playing complex people.”
