Austin ButlerplaysElvis Presleyin the upcoming movieElvis, but the actor recently had a chance to play one of The King’s actual guitars.
Butler, 30, recently traveled to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, according toRiley Keough, who is a granddaughter of Elvis andPriscilla Presley.
Keoughposted two photosto Instagram of Butler playing Elvis' signature 1956 Gibson J200 guitar. The acoustic instrument has Elvis' name printed into its fretboard and is part of the archival collection at the mansion, according to theGraceland website.
In the post’s caption, actress Keough, 33, wrote that not many people besides Elvis himself have had the good fortune to strum that guitar.
“We got to spend time with@austinbutlerthis weekend in the house, at Graceland,” she wrote. “It was such a special and overwhelming experience I haven’t quite processed. One of many sweet things that happened while we were there — Austin played my grandfather’s guitar in the house.”
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Austin Butler.Riley Keough/Instagram
Keough went on to explain that Butler may be one of the few individuals ever to play the guitar, noting thatPaul McCartneyonce tuned it.
Butler recently toldEntertainment Tonightthat he has realized his voice sometimes still slips into his impersonation of Elvis for the film’s titular role, even thoughGQreported that filming for the project ended in March 2021.
“It’s one of those things where certain things trigger it,” Butler toldETin an interview published Tuesday. “When you live with something for two years and you do nothing else, I think that you can’t help it. It becomes a fiber of your being.”
Butler also toldETthat he tried to emphasize a portrayal of Elvis as a human figure and not necessarily the King of Rock & Roll in his performance, explaining that the responsibility of playing such an iconic cultural figure put a “weight like I never felt before” on him.
“And there’s a responsibility to his family and also putting his story into context,” Butler said. “That’s the thing. There were so many misconceptions about him; there’s so many ideas of him. So I felt a responsibly to bring the humanity.”
Keough, her motherLisa Marie Presleyand grandmother Priscilla, 77, were allon hand for the Graceland premiere ofElvison Saturday. Back in May, Keough said thatshe started crying within the first five minutesofthe film’s runtime when she first saw it.
Though the extended Presley family all appears to approve of the movie,critical reviews of the filmhave been mixed ahead of its release. However, multiple critics commended Butler for his performance as one of the most popular rock-and-roll stars ever.
Baz Luhrmann’sElvispremieres June 24 in theaters and 45 days later on HBO Max.
source: people.com
