The man who would be King: Inside Austin Butler's 'Elvis' transformation
Austin Butler, his director Baz Luhrmann, and costar Tom Hanks reflect on how the 30-year-old found the rebel, the soul, and the rock 'n' roll heart of Elvis Presley.
New Movie Trailer: Elvis biopic with Tom Hanks directed by Baz Luhrmann
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I didn't know BGOL fuk'd with simple and plain Elvis, I heard he was a hero to most.....
I like almost all biopics especially concerning musicians and curious how this director tackles this
bgol cinema don't discriminate.
I don't like lies, though. If we don't see Elvis stealin' from Black people then I ain't watchin' it. Oh and I bet the film won't show his pedo behavior with his future wife:
here's the article:
Priscilla Presley's 1985 Description of How Her Relationship With Elvis Began Is Hard to Shake Off
Delilah Gray
June 23, 2022 at 12:20pm PM EDT
Rock and roll is no stranger to darker motifs: why else would the phrase be “Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll?” However, with any genre of superstar, there are good eggs, and not-so-good eggs — and sadly, rock and roll is no different. If you know rock, you know Elvis Presley. And if you know Elvis, you know of his iconic wife Priscilla Presley. However, what many thought was a fairytale wedding that personified the 1960s was much darker than even the biggest fans may have realized. Even those who already casually know that Priscilla was quite young when she met Elvis — 14 years old to Elvis’ 24 years old — the details of their courtship may not be front-of-mind. Written in Priscilla Presley’s own words for People in 1985, the specific story of how the King of Rock and Roll met and wooed his only wife may be hard for some fans to stomach.
Related story Priscilla Presley Recalls 'Vicious' Rumors After She Married Elvis Presley at Age 21
Priscilla and Elvis met back in 1959. As an Air Force brat, she was constantly moving around, but at that point, she and her family settled in a small town in Germany. Elvis and Priscilla met soon after at a party, where Priscilla was invited by a family friend.
When she and Elvis met, she immediately told him she was in ninth grade, to which he reportedly said: “Why you’re just a baby,” in her 1985 article for People. But then he took that baby up to his room a few nights later, because as Priscilla recalled, he said: “I want to be alone with you, Priscilla. Will you come upstairs to my room?”
They’d spend all night together, seeing each other for months, but, per Priscilla, they never made love. Priscilla writes that he repeated time and time again: “We have plenty of time, Little One.” Soon, they’d spend every night together, which proved to be too much for the student. Her grades started slipping, and she got rightfully tired — and so he gave her drugs to stay awake.
“My parents became confused and bewildered by our relationship. We tried to make them believe that it was proper and platonic, and they wanted to believe me,” Priscilla writes of that time. “We had a nightly ritual. At about 10 or 11, Elvis would glance at me and look toward the stairs. Then, naively assuming that nobody knew where I was headed, I’d casually proceed to his bedroom, where I’d lie on his bed, waiting for him to appear. ‘Sweetness,’ he would say, putting his arms around me. ‘You’re so pretty, Honey.’ And then we’d kiss long, deep passionate kisses.”
Soon, Elvis was primping her into the image he wanted: buying her revealing clothes and pounding on the makeup she didn’t want: “He applied makeup so heavily that you couldn’t tell if my eyes were black, blue, or black and blue. That was what Elvis wanted.”
Elvis also repeatedly pressed her on the fact that she had to remain a virgin for him: “‘I want you back the way you are now,’ he whispered just before dawn. “‘And remember, I’ll always know.'”
She was devoted to him, but he was anything but.
According to biographer Peter Guralnick in Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, Elvis was also dating a 19-year-old named Elisabeth Stefaniak at the same time he was with Priscilla. She claimed they refrained from having sex because of Elvis’ fear of pregnancy. But like his relationship with Priscilla, that didn’t stop him from sleeping with Stefaniak every night for some time and “fooling around.”
Along with that, he had an affair with his co-star Ann-Margret, who he was reportedly crazy about — all during this same time period.
Years later, Priscilla moved in with Elvis in Graceland at his request. The two got engaged just before Christmas in 1966, when she was 21 and he was almost 32. On May 1, 1967, they wed in a private ceremony in Las Vegas and jetted off to Palm Springs for their honeymoon. According to Priscilla’s autobiography, Elvis and Me, they had sex for the first time that night.
Exactly nine months later, on Feb. 1, 1968, they had a daughter named Lisa Marie Presley.
The turbulent relationship continued for six years until Priscilla left him for the last time. In her autobiography, she said her “feelings of neglect and loneliness” drove her to have an affair with their karate instructor Mike Stone. She told Elvis when she left that she was “finding myself for the first time.”
They separated in 1972, with the divorce finalizing the following year. According to the biography Down at the End of Lonely Street, they left the courtroom amicably, holding hands as they left.
To this day, Priscilla speaks positively of Elvis and has praised the new Baz Luhrmann film starring Austin Butler coming out this week. Nonetheless, some of the actions she describes from Elvis are not defensible. As Elvis comes out in theaters, it’s vital to know all the facts about the man so many idolize.
Priscilla Presley's 1985 Description of How Her Relationship With Elvis Began Is Hard to Shake Off
"He would describe his ideal woman and tell me how perfectly I fit this image," Priscilla writes of meeting Elvis at age 14. "He wanted to mold me to his opinions and preferences. Fidelity was very important to him, especially on the woman’s part."
www.sheknows.com
I don't like lies, though. If we don't see Elvis stealin' from Black people then I ain't watchin' it. Oh and I bet the film won't show his pedo behavior with future wife:
here's the article:
Priscilla Presley's 1985 Description of How Her Relationship With Elvis Began Is Hard to Shake Off
Delilah Gray
June 23, 2022 at 12:20pm PM EDT
Rock and roll is no stranger to darker motifs: why else would the phrase be “Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll?” However, with any genre of superstar, there are good eggs, and not-so-good eggs — and sadly, rock and roll is no different. If you know rock, you know Elvis Presley. And if you know Elvis, you know of his iconic wife Priscilla Presley. However, what many thought was a fairytale wedding that personified the 1960s was much darker than even the biggest fans may have realized. Even those who already casually know that Priscilla was quite young when she met Elvis — 14 years old to Elvis’ 24 years old — the details of their courtship may not be front-of-mind. Written in Priscilla Presley’s own words for People in 1985, the specific story of how the King of Rock and Roll met and wooed his only wife may be hard for some fans to stomach.
Related story Priscilla Presley Recalls 'Vicious' Rumors After She Married Elvis Presley at Age 21
Priscilla and Elvis met back in 1959. As an Air Force brat, she was constantly moving around, but at that point, she and her family settled in a small town in Germany. Elvis and Priscilla met soon after at a party, where Priscilla was invited by a family friend.
When she and Elvis met, she immediately told him she was in ninth grade, to which he reportedly said: “Why you’re just a baby,” in her 1985 article for People. But then he took that baby up to his room a few nights later, because as Priscilla recalled, he said: “I want to be alone with you, Priscilla. Will you come upstairs to my room?”
They’d spend all night together, seeing each other for months, but, per Priscilla, they never made love. Priscilla writes that he repeated time and time again: “We have plenty of time, Little One.” Soon, they’d spend every night together, which proved to be too much for the student. Her grades started slipping, and she got rightfully tired — and so he gave her drugs to stay awake.
“My parents became confused and bewildered by our relationship. We tried to make them believe that it was proper and platonic, and they wanted to believe me,” Priscilla writes of that time. “We had a nightly ritual. At about 10 or 11, Elvis would glance at me and look toward the stairs. Then, naively assuming that nobody knew where I was headed, I’d casually proceed to his bedroom, where I’d lie on his bed, waiting for him to appear. ‘Sweetness,’ he would say, putting his arms around me. ‘You’re so pretty, Honey.’ And then we’d kiss long, deep passionate kisses.”
Soon, Elvis was primping her into the image he wanted: buying her revealing clothes and pounding on the makeup she didn’t want: “He applied makeup so heavily that you couldn’t tell if my eyes were black, blue, or black and blue. That was what Elvis wanted.”
Elvis also repeatedly pressed her on the fact that she had to remain a virgin for him: “‘I want you back the way you are now,’ he whispered just before dawn. “‘And remember, I’ll always know.'”
She was devoted to him, but he was anything but.
According to biographer Peter Guralnick in Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, Elvis was also dating a 19-year-old named Elisabeth Stefaniak at the same time he was with Priscilla. She claimed they refrained from having sex because of Elvis’ fear of pregnancy. But like his relationship with Priscilla, that didn’t stop him from sleeping with Stefaniak every night for some time and “fooling around.”
Along with that, he had an affair with his co-star Ann-Margret, who he was reportedly crazy about — all during this same time period.
Years later, Priscilla moved in with Elvis in Graceland at his request. The two got engaged just before Christmas in 1966, when she was 21 and he was almost 32. On May 1, 1967, they wed in a private ceremony in Las Vegas and jetted off to Palm Springs for their honeymoon. According to Priscilla’s autobiography, Elvis and Me, they had sex for the first time that night.
Exactly nine months later, on Feb. 1, 1968, they had a daughter named Lisa Marie Presley.
The turbulent relationship continued for six years until Priscilla left him for the last time. In her autobiography, she said her “feelings of neglect and loneliness” drove her to have an affair with their karate instructor Mike Stone. She told Elvis when she left that she was “finding myself for the first time.”
They separated in 1972, with the divorce finalizing the following year. According to the biography Down at the End of Lonely Street, they left the courtroom amicably, holding hands as they left.
To this day, Priscilla speaks positively of Elvis and has praised the new Baz Luhrmann film starring Austin Butler coming out this week. Nonetheless, some of the actions she describes from Elvis are not defensible. As Elvis comes out in theaters, it’s vital to know all the facts about the man so many idolize.
Priscilla Presley's 1985 Description of How Her Relationship With Elvis Began Is Hard to Shake Off
"He would describe his ideal woman and tell me how perfectly I fit this image," Priscilla writes of meeting Elvis at age 14. "He wanted to mold me to his opinions and preferences. Fidelity was very important to him, especially on the woman’s part."
Of course aint no one caping for Elvis (no pun intended)
None of that stuff is a secret.
but the thing is... we need to see it FIRST before we criticize right?
And the pedo stuff...
Why would any documentary approved by the family allow that?
And before we start throwing stones...
James Brown beat his wives, Aerosmith did pedo stuff too, Michael accused of pedo, Seinfeld too, Kobe rape case, Tupac rape, Biggie abuse, Mark Wahlberg beat an Asian man BLIND for his money after he delivered him Chinese food the list goes on and on.
You REALLY think the families are gonna address that in THEIR biopics?
In current society we really pick and chose when we are offended by how much we like someone.
This looks like one Biopic they took the time to do right. We’ll see.
I haven’t liked any of the biopics about musicians since Ray.
No I didnt like the James Brown biopic (RIP Chadwick) nor any of the Black musicians since then. Maybe except Ma Rainey’s on Netflix, that I did enjoy. Other than that, no.
Feel like they not putting enough respect into the making of Black musicians anymore.
Just some rushed thrown together shit to appease Black audiences and take money to the bank, so they can check it off the list of minority required movies in Hollywood.
I haven’t liked any of the biopics about musicians since Ray.
No I didnt like the James Brown biopic (RIP Chadwick) nor any of the Black musicians since then. Maybe except Ma Rainey’s on Netflix, that I did enjoy. Other than that, no.
Feel like they not putting enough respect into the making of Black musicians anymore.
Just some rushed thrown together shit to appease Black audiences and take money to the bank, so they can check it off the list of minority required movies in Hollywood.
Michael, Kobe, and Tupac never raped anyone, so you will disparage Black folks to defend Elvis? Not a good look, bruh. There is clear evidence about what Elvis did.
You wanted to read something that wasn't there.
I started off saying aint nobody defending Elvis its well known what he did
and the public IGNORED it. And STILL DO.
And I named a ton of other white men who got the SAME exact pass.
now concerning black entertainers
I'm saying they were ACCUSED and there is a large segment of the population who believe that.
Once you accused go to court even settle
as a BLACK man in this country?
You guilty
and it becomes a part of your legacy forever
that is the danger of false accusations.
Even when proven false? You are scarred.
And what about the other dudes I mentioned?
Regardless why would ANYONE'S family put that in a movie they doing?
Did Dr. Dre talk about beating Dee Barnes in the NWA movie?
explain the logic behind that to me.
You say you're not defending Elvis and then you turn around and defend Elvis by attempting to point out what everybody is accused of doing instead of Elvis. That is called presenting a red herring into the discussion. Elvis had pedo behavior by pursuing a 14 year old when he was 24 years, that is a problem. & it's proven that's what he did, no doubt about it.
Again that is not the point
you said you bet it wont be in the movie.
Why would they put that in the movie?
It's the truth.
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The 'Elvis' cast speaks on how the movie deals with racial appropriation
We talked to the team behind 'Elvis' about the ways in which they tried to pay tribute to Presley's debt to Black music and culture
Austin Butler kept the black leather jumpsuit he wears in 'Elvis'
Playing Elvis Presley was a singular experience, so Austin Butler kept a leather costume to commemorate it.
Shonka Dukureh, singer who played Big Mama Thornton in 'Elvis,' dies at 44
Shonka Dukureh, who played Big Mama Thornton in 'Elvis,' has died at age 44 after being found unresponsive in her Nashville home on Thursday.
Shonka Dukureh, singer who played Big Mama Thornton in Elvis, dies at 44
Dukureh was found unresponsive in her Nashville home on Thursday.
By Lauren HuffJuly 21, 2022 at 07:27 PM EDT
Shonka Dukureh, a singer and actress best known for playing Big Mama Thornton in last month's Baz Luhrmann film Elvis, has died. She was 44.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Dukureh was found dead Thursday morning in the bedroom of her Kothe Way apartment that she shared with her two young children. One of her children found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor's apartment to call 911.
Police say no foul play is suspected in her death, which has been marked as unclassified pending autopsy results from the Medical Examiner's Office. Further information has not been released.
Her role in Elvis, as the iconic R&B singer-songwriter who first recorded "Hound Dog," was Dukureh's big screen debut. Earlier this year, she also could be seen in the music video to Doja Cat's "Vegas," from the soundtrack to Elvis.
Shonka Dukureh as Big Mama Thornton in 'Elvis'
| CREDIT: KANE SKENNAR/WARNER BROS.
According to her website, Dukureh hailed from Nashville, Tennessee by way of Charlotte, North Carolina. She attended Fisk University, where she received a Bachelors degree in Theatre. She also held a Masters degree in Education from Trevecca Nazarene University, which she obtained in the hopes of originally becoming a teacher before she decided to pursue a career in the performing arts.
Per her website, prior to her death she had plans to release her first full-length album. In addition to her credits in Elvis and its soundtrack, Dukureh recorded with and provided background vocals for the likes of Nick Cave, Mike Farris, Jamie Lidell and the Royal Pharaohs, and many more.
EW has reached out to Warner Bros. for additional comment.
I just finished watching this movie!!..Yeah, Elvis stole our whole style and culture from us blacks!!...
I'm not going to lie, the movie was pretty good to watch!!...
I'm not going to lie, the movie was pretty good to watch!!...
I watched the Elvis movie and I enjoyed it and it was well done. I always liked Elvis and some of his songs were good. In being a stats guy I always was impressed with his sales and chart achievements but I always knew the truth about him and his career. I would get in trouble when I said Elvis and Whitney were very similar in there careers in that neither read music,played music,created or invented anything BUT both sold 100s of millions of records cause they both had charisma and could sing especially in Whitneys case. Elvis imitated what he saw and he was exploited by the Colonial and never spoke up for the same black people who made his career. Anyone who compares Elvis with the true greats like MJ,Prince,James Brown,McCartney,Elton John,Stevie,Beyoncé and dozens of others simply doesn’t understand true artistry But u can’t ignore the motherfucker sold more physical singles than anyone in history and the 2nd or 3rd most albums behind the Beatles and MJ.
Elvis actress Shonka Dukureh's cause of death revealed
The 44-year-old singer and actress, who played Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann's acclaimed biopic, died of natural causes.
By Lester Fabian BrathwaiteAugust 30, 2022 at 08:57 PM EDT
Actress and singer Shonka Dukureh made her big-screen debut this year in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, only to tragically die shortly after the film's release. Her death at 44 came as a shock, and now the cause has been revealed.
According to the Tennessee's Davidson County Medical Examiner's office, Dukureh died of natural causes. The official cause was "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," a representative for the medical examiner's office told the Los Angeles Times and other outlets.
Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure, while atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls, causing arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow, and to potentially burst, leading to a blood clot.
Dukureh was found dead the morning of July 21 in the bedroom of her Nashville apartment, which she shared with her two young children. One of her children found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor's apartment to call 911.
Shonka Dukureh as Big Mama Thornton in 'Elvis'
| CREDIT: KANE SKENNAR/WARNER BROS.
"Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond," Luhrmann wrote of Dukureh upon her passing. "A favorite word of Shonka's, in daily use, was 'blessings,' and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew, and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her."
Dukureh's role in Elvis as Big Mama Thornton, the iconic R&B singer-songwriter who first recorded "Hound Dog," marked the Nashville native's first film. Earlier this year she was also seen in the music video for Doja Cat's "Vegas," from the Elvis soundtrack.
In addition to her work in Elvis, Dukureh recorded with and provided background vocals for the likes of Nick Cave, Mike Farris, Jamie Lidell and the Royal Pharaohs, and many more. Prior to her death, she also had plans to release her first full-length album.
The 44-year-old singer and actress, who played Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann's acclaimed biopic, died of natural causes.
By Lester Fabian BrathwaiteAugust 30, 2022 at 08:57 PM EDT
Actress and singer Shonka Dukureh made her big-screen debut this year in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, only to tragically die shortly after the film's release. Her death at 44 came as a shock, and now the cause has been revealed.
According to the Tennessee's Davidson County Medical Examiner's office, Dukureh died of natural causes. The official cause was "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," a representative for the medical examiner's office told the Los Angeles Times and other outlets.
Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure, while atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls, causing arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow, and to potentially burst, leading to a blood clot.
Dukureh was found dead the morning of July 21 in the bedroom of her Nashville apartment, which she shared with her two young children. One of her children found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor's apartment to call 911.
Shonka Dukureh as Big Mama Thornton in 'Elvis'
| CREDIT: KANE SKENNAR/WARNER BROS.
"Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond," Luhrmann wrote of Dukureh upon her passing. "A favorite word of Shonka's, in daily use, was 'blessings,' and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew, and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her."
Dukureh's role in Elvis as Big Mama Thornton, the iconic R&B singer-songwriter who first recorded "Hound Dog," marked the Nashville native's first film. Earlier this year she was also seen in the music video for Doja Cat's "Vegas," from the Elvis soundtrack.
In addition to her work in Elvis, Dukureh recorded with and provided background vocals for the likes of Nick Cave, Mike Farris, Jamie Lidell and the Royal Pharaohs, and many more. Prior to her death, she also had plans to release her first full-length album.
Baz Luhrmann Is Too Tired to Release the 4-Hour Cut of Elvis
Maybe in a year or two.
www.vulture.com
Austin Butler Says ‘Thank You, Thank You Very Much’ to Ex Vanessa Hudgens
For believing he could play Elvis.
www.vulture.com
Austin Butler owes 'clairvoyant' ex Vanessa Hudgens for believing he should be Elvis
Austin Butler says he owes 'clairvoyant' ex Vanessa Hudgens for believing he could and should be Elvis
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Tom Hanks says he couldn't do 'Philadelphia' today as a straight man — 'and rightly so'
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SMH it's called acting!!
It's not like he was playing an offensive stereotype.
If rights for the mentally disabled were in Vogue right now would he have regretted Forrest Gump too?
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My favorites are "it's now or never" and " blue Christmas"
That said, I've felt a lot of different ways about him over the years.
He ripped off black music, but who doesn't? It's something you pretty much have to do if you want to make anything worth listening to. I even heard a Bollywood song that ganked a Nile Rogers riff the other day. They didn't even change keys.
He never earned his status of "the king", but then again that was never something that he called himself.
He benefited from a very racist industry, but that same industry eventually destroyed him.
I hate that he never supported the civil rights movement or black artists, but somehow I suspect that he did a lot for them behind the scenes.
He was an interesting man from an interesting time. He needs a few more biopics. Each one from a different point of view.
I feel you on what you are saying!!..
Thanks.
Thought I'd add something.
I recently found out that the FBI had been investigating Elvis from the moment he hopped on stage until 5 years after his death.
Ironically, Elvis considered J Edgar Hoover a hero.
I'd have to disagree with you. If you look at a lot of black artist that were around that time. They HATED Elvis, Little RIchard, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, etc.. You don't get that kind of vitriol if you're helping a movement behind the scenes.
Fame has a funny way of changing a persons personality. You got women wanting to be with you and men wanting to be you. All your wants and desires are catered to. He may not have outright said he was King of Rock, but his attitude definitely said: 'I am A KING!'
I hear what you saying.
I honestly hadn't considered this so I decided to do a Google search and read a few articles about the subject.
It seems that most of these artists had nothing against Elvis either as a person or a musician. Instead, they hated the fact that he copied their music and made millions while most of them barely made a living. It's more of an indictment against the system than the man himself.
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