Austin Butler: My times with Lisa Marie Presley were 'the greatest gifts of my life'
Austin Butler feels a "profound privilege" to be able to "carry on" Lisa Marie Presley's legacy.
Austin Butler says the times he spent with Lisa Marie Presley were the "greatest gifts of [his] life".
The 31-year-old actor has scored a number of awards for his portrayal of Lisa Marie's late father Elvis in the acclaimed biopic 'Elvis', and following the King of Rock and Roll's only child's passing, Austin has reflected on the "profound privilege" it was to connect with the Presley family.
Speaking at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards at Los Angeles' Fairmont Century Plaza hotel on Sunday night (26.02.23), Austin told ET: “It’s just part of that profound privilege that I feel to relate to them in some way.
“Lisa was such an extraordinary woman. The times that I spent with her were some of the greatest gifts of my life. And to now be able to carry on her legacy in this way, I feel profoundly on it.”
The former child actor was nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role prize but lost out to 'The Whale' star Brendan Fraser on this occasion.
Austin has already won the Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Actor and is hotly-tipped for success at the upcoming Academy Awards.
He said of his wins: “I think back to that little kid that was walking around in different coloured t-shirts as an extra in TV shows, and I just think what would he make of all of this?
“It’s special.”
Asked what advice he'd give his younger self, he replied: “Keep with it, you know.
“Focus on the work. Not all the noise around it.”
Austin recently admitted his award wins have felt "bittersweet" following the death of The King's daughter on January 12.
The Hollywood star - who struck up a close friendship with Lisa Marie while making the film - said backstage at London's Festival Hall after winning the Best Actor BAFTA: “It’s been a really unimaginably tragic time, you know, and grief is a long process.
"And so my heart and my love was with [the Presley family] always. I feel honoured to have been welcomed into the family. It’s a bittersweet time.”
While Austin doesn't miss "the terror" of trying to do justice to Elvis, he feels incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to play the iconic singer.
He said: “How lucky I was to get to have that experience.
“The feeling of standing on an international stage and looking out and looking down at the jumpsuit that I was wearing and realising there were certain moments where I was seeing the closest thing to what Elvis would have seen during his ’68 Special or whatever that was and I miss it a lot. I miss that experience.
“I don’t miss the terror. But I felt every day the elation that you feel with that. And I miss the people that I got to make the film with, they became completely like family to me. I really miss them a lot.”
