The more that is revealed about Jacob Elordi’s approach to playing Elvis Presley—especially compared to Austin Butler’s approach to playing Elvis—the funnier it gets. Before we begin, let me just say that I very much appreciate both of these actors. While I do think actors sometimes can (and do) go too far for their work, each actor has their own process. Elordi’s approach to Elvis is just vastly different from what Butler did in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.
Elordi plays Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Focusing on Cailee Spaeny’s Priscilla Presley from the time she met Elvis through their marriage and beyond, the film shows a different side to the King of Rock-n-Roll. It has also made a lot of Elvis fans, including Lisa Marie Presley prior to her death, wary of Coppola’s depiction. With two Elvis movies basically coming out back to back, there have obviously been some comparisons between the two. What makes it hilarious is what Elordi has had to say about his take on the role.
First, it was that what he knew about Elvis he learned from Lilo & Stitch. And now we’ve learned that Elordi’s approach seems to have also included eating a lot of bacon. Why is this funny? Because Butler has talked about how his turn as Presley kept him from seeing his family while filming Elvis. Elordi just ate a lot of bacon and found out about Elvis from Experiment 626.
During a roundtable with Coppola and Spaeny for Entertainment Weekly, the three talked about a sandwich Elvis famously adored, which included peanut butter, bananas, and bacon. “I averaged, like, a pound of bacon a day,” Elordi said. “It’s not that noticeable because I’m quite long, but I was the biggest I’ve ever been.”
Bacon and Lilo & Stitch is certainly my kind of acting
Again, there is nothing wrong with Butler’s approach, but he is still talking like Elvis a year and a half later, so … To me, it’s just hilarious to continue to hear stories about how different Elordi’s time was as Presley. They are two drastically different movies, though.
While Butler had the weight of Elvis’ story on his shoulders, Elordi’s performance was supporting Spaeny’s journey as Priscilla. Still, without having a looming Elvis in Coppola’s take on Priscilla Presley’s memoir Elvis and Me, it wouldn’t work. And Elordi’s moments stand out in the film because he is so charming, and we’re drawn to him similar to how we’re drawn to Elvis.
Hearing how Elordi watched a Disney movie as a kid and ate bacon is very different from Butler. “During Elvis, I didn’t see my family for about three years,” Butler said to Entertainment Weekly. “I was prepping with Baz, and then I went to Australia. I had months where I wouldn’t talk to anybody. And when I did, the only thing I was ever thinking about was Elvis.”
The contrast is just hilarious to me. They’re both great performances, while vastly different, but only one of them is still talking like Elvis after the fact.
(featured image: A24)
