We’re currently in the midst of Awards Season, and things are gearing up for the finale event aka the Academy Awards. This week the nominations were announced (expertly) by Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed, revealing who might snatch a trophy in a few months. This includes Elvis star Austin Butler, who recently spoke about the “bittersweet” feeling of getting his Best Actor honor so closely after Lisa Marie Presley’s death.
The public was shocked weeks ago upon the news that Lisa Marie Presley had died at the age of 54 due to cardiac arrest. Plenty of statements honoring the late singer-songwriter have come out since her passing, and clearly the folks involved with Elvis are also going through their own sense of mourning. Austin Butler, who played her iconic father, recently spoke to Deadline about the complicated feelings associated with the 2023 Oscar nominations, sharing:
It’s a bittersweet moment right now because I just wish that Lisa was here to celebrate with us. But you know, I try to focus on how this can be a moment of honoring her.
There you have it. While Austin Butler was no doubt thrilled to be honored with his first Academy Award nomination, the timing of it happening so shortly after Lisa Marie Presley’s death likely puts things in a unique perspective. We’ll just have to see if the upcoming Oscars ceremony honors her in any way, as Elvis was nominated for a whopping 8 nominations including Best Picture.
Austin Butler’s comments help to offer some perspective about what it’s like within the craziness that is Awards Season. He’s been getting all sorts of honors and nominations for his performance as the title character of Elvis, although he’s been getting some flack over still using The King’s voice in real life. On top of presumably being nervous about how the movie performs at the Academy Awards ceremony, Butler seems to be thinking about Lisa Marie Presley a great deal.
The Best Actor category for the Academy Awards is always tough competition, and the upcoming 2023 Oscars are no exception. This year the favorite to win has been Brendan Fraser for his moving performance in The Whale. But Austin Butler took home the Golden Globe, so maybe he could end up taking home an Oscar as well. Only time will tell, but it should make for thrilling television when the ceremony is aired live.
Austin Butler’s performance in Elvis has been universally acclaimed. On top of nailing The King’s speaking voice and perfectly recreating some of his most iconic performances, Butler also impressively played him across years and years of his life. We watched as he went from an unknown to the icon we know Elvis Presley to be, with filmmaker Baz Luhrman putting his signature filmmaking twist on the tale.
Elvis is currently streaming on HBO Max. The 2023 Oscars will take place March 12th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.