11 January 2023 , 06:01
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Austin Butler won his first Golden Globe on Tuesday for his portrayal of legendary singer Elvis Presley.
However, while his performance of the icon in the biopic won the plaudits, his acceptance speech was less well received as viewers questioned his accent.
Taking to the stage to accept his Best Actor in a Drama award, Austin, 31, gushed: "Oh man, all my words are leaving me. I just am so grateful right now. I’m in this room full of my heroes. Brad [Pitt], I love you. Quentin [Tarantino], I printed out the ‘Pulp Fiction’ script when I was 12. I cannot believe I’m here right now."
And it was his Elvis-style twang that confused viewers.
The Southern Californian-native went on to address the late King of rock n roll's widow, Priscilla Presley, and his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who were in the audience at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton hotel.
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Austin Butler with his Golden Globe Award (Jim Ruymen/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)"The Presley family, thank you guys for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me," he said. "Lisa Marie and Priscilla, I love you forever."
His words gripped the pair who seemed visibly emotional at his dedication, but fans took to Twitter to share their confusion.
One user wrote: "So that fake Elvis accent is just Austin Butler’s voice now, huh #GoldenGlobes.
Austin portrayed Elvis Presley in the biopic about the star (Warner Bros)Another questioned: "Has Elvis’ ghost taken over Austin Butler? Sir blink twice if you need help #goldenglobes."
A third joked: "If Austin Butler can stick with his Elvis voice then Julia Garner should stick with her Anna Delvey voice," while a fourth asked: "When is Austin Butler going to switch his voice back to normal?"
Austin also thanked a number of people in his heartfelt speech. "I also want to say to my fellow nominees, you have turned in the most beautiful profound work and I am so honoured and proud to be listed among you," he gushed.
Austin was honoured for his Elvis Presley role (Getty Images)
Austin thanked the Presley family in his speech (Earl Gibson III/REX/Shutterstock)"I owe this to a bold, visionary filmmaker who allowed me the experience to take risks and I always knew I would be supported. I love you, Baz Luhrmann, thank you for believing in me in those moments that I didn't even believe in myself."
Others to receive recognition from the actor was Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, who he thanked for his kindness.
Earlier in the night, Austin had revealed he almost gave up on his career after the death of his mum. He revealed he questioned if he should leave the industry and if it was a “noble profession” after his mother died when he was in his early 20s.