Oscar nominee Austin Butler connected with Elvis's ghost ahead of role
Austin Butler claims Elvis Presley's wife Priscilla helped connect him with the late singer's ghost as he prepared for his Oscar nominated role as the star.
The 31-year-old American actor has wowed audience across the globe with his hip shaking and soulful singing performance as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann's biographical drama.
But it seems he had an extra bit of mystical assistance while preparing for his role as the singer - as 77-year-old Priscilla left him to meet with Elvis's spirit.
The blonde haired actor spent time with Priscilla, who was married to Elvis between 1967 and 1973, at Graceland - the estate where Elvis lived - and was put in touch with the Jailhouse Rock singer's ghost.
Austin Butler claims he was introduced to Elvis Presley's spirit while preparing to play the singer on camera (Getty Images)Austin told The Sun on Sunday about his encounter with Priscilla, saying: “That time was less about the questions and more about trying to feel his energy, trying to feel the humanity of him.
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“She took me over to Graceland and said, ‘This is where I believe his spirit is.’
“Then I just got to spend the day in Graceland by myself and sort of sit in different rooms and think, ‘This is where they had Christmas’ and, ‘This is where he used to sit and eat breakfast’ and just humanise him.”
Elvis Presley died in 1977 at the age of 42 but has continued to be a chart and pop culture icon in the decades since his passing.
Last year’s biopic has made almost £240 million at the box office and has been nominated for a string of Oscar awards including Best Picture, Best Cinematography and Best Actor for Austin.
Elvis lived from 1935 until 1977 (Getty Images)
Elvis's wife Priscilla Presley took Austin to Graceland where she believes the singer's spirit still resides (AFP via Getty Images)Elvis’s daughter, Lisa Marie - his only child with Priscilla and his only child ever - tragically died in January at the age of 54.
Austin paid tribute to the mum-of-four after winning Best Actor at the BAFTAs in London last month.
In his touching speech, the star said: "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 honored to have been welcomed into the family. It’s a bittersweet time.
Austin paid tribute to Elvis's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, at the BAFTAs last month (Getty Images for BAFTA)"How lucky I was to get to have that experience [of playing an icon like Elvis Presley].”
He concluded his speech by thanking the Presley family in general, saying: "I cannot thank you guys enough for your love and for sharing with me who Elvis truly was.
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"I hope I've made you proud. This means the world to me. Thank you all so much."
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