Austin Butler, the star of the latest Elvis Presley biopic Elvis, has opened up about his intense experience while filming the hit.
Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Elvis received a 12-minute standing ovation, and there was immediate Oscar buzz surrounding its lead, Austin.
However, Austin ended up being so dedicated to doing the role justice that he ultimately lost touch with his own identity by the time filming wrapped.
Austin also revealed the methods director Baz Luhrmann used to get him into character; some ending up too intense for the actor to handle.
“When I was on my first day in the recording studio, Baz wanted me to get as close to performing as possible,” Butler, 30, revealed in interview with VMAN‘s Mathias.
“He had all the executives and everybody from RCA, who were back in the offices, he brought them into the recording studio and he goes, ‘I want you all to sit facing Austin’ … and he told them to heckle me.”
The actor explained the reasoning behind the bullying was to help the actor understand Elvis Presley’s mindset.
However it took a toll on the star as he recalled: "I went home in tears that night."