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Hollywood is full of famous method actors who go to great lengths to capture the essence of a role. Daniel Day-Lewis famously morphs into whoever he played on screen. Christian Balle starved himself to 121 pounds for The mechanic. But what Austin Butler revealed in his conversation with Janelle Monae to the diversity could be considered extreme. Janelle, 37, asked how Austin, 31, “push[es] turn the noise off when you’re preparing for a roll.” Austin said, “While elvisI haven’t seen my family for about three years.”
“While #Elvis“I haven’t seen my family for about three years,” Austin Butler tells Janelle Monáe. “I’ve had months where I haven’t spoken to anyone, and when I did, the only thing I ever thought about was Elvis.” https://t.co/wNhSd0YD6e pic.twitter.com/YeC1hELObB
— Variety (@variety) December 11, 2022
“I prepared myself baz [Luhrmann, Elvis director], and then I went to Australia,” Austin said. “I had months where I didn’t want to talk to anyone. And when I did that, all I could think about was Elvis. I spoke in his voice the whole time.”
Austin also revealed that COVID-19 affected how Baz made the film. Originally they wanted to proceed chronologically. The pandemic shifted to where they first shot the Elvis comeback sequence. “It was so nerve-wracking because I had a year and a half to prepare by then,” said Butler. “And all the preparation is useless if you don’t get it. Before I went on stage, I was really scared: “My career feels like it’s on the line [at] this moment.’ But at this point in Elvis’ life, his career was on the line and he was scared.”
Janelle didn’t have to go to such extremes glass onion: A Knives Out Mystery. “I said, ‘Family, I love you. But I might not text you back because I’m really keen on doing my best.’” The engagement resulted in one of the biggest critically acclaimed films of the year. “A lot of things got canceled for me, and it was just a dream come true to get this script,” she said. “There was a lot to manage in this role, a lot of energies to manage. I had to keep two or three different notebooks.”
“I have been given a very unique opportunity to have a music career and an acting career. Honestly, I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t do both,” added Monáe. “I see it as storytelling. What is the story we are telling today? Sometimes it’s like you take on a role because you want to be challenged, right? You say, ‘I have this side of me that I want to explore a little more.’ Now I think very differently. I’m just like, ‘Is this going to be fun? Who is the director? Who are the actors? When I meet her, do I get a good vibe? OK, I can be with you for three months.’ Because time waits for nothing.”
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