Fans troll Austin Butler for ‘fake’ Elvis voice in Golden Globes 2023 speech
Austin Butler dipped into his Elvis Presley voice while accepting a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the late King of Rock at Tuesday night’s awards ceremony — and fans found it awkward.
“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,” the 31-year-old began, invoking Presley’s signature twang.
The Disney Channel alum won the award for “Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama” for his leading role in director Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed “Elvis” biopic.
While in character, Butler — who hails from Southern California — went on to address Presley’s widow, Priscilla Presley, and daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who were in the audience at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton hotel.
“The Presley family, thank you guys for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me,” he told the Tennessee natives. “Lisa Marie and Priscilla, I love you forever.”
Butler’s spot-on impersonation did not seem to bother Priscilla, 77, nor Lisa Marie, 54, who both appeared visibly emotional throughout the oration. (They lost Elvis in 1977 when he died of a heart attack at age 42.)
Although Elvis’ loved ones seemed to appreciate Butler’s delivery, viewers at home were largely unnerved.
“So that fake Elvis accent is just Austin Butler’s voice now, huh #GoldenGlobes,” one viewer tweeted.
So that fake Elvis accent is just Austin Butler’s voice now, huh #GoldenGlobes
— Traci Koller Mazurek (@heytrace) January 11, 2023
“Austin Butler taking ‘method acting’ WAY further than it needs to with this voice in his acceptance speech. #GoldenGlobes,” another wrote via Twitter.
“Has Elvis’ ghost taken over Austin Butler? Sir blink twice if you need help #goldenglobes,” someone else quipped.
One more individual joked, “if Austin Butler can stick with his Elvis voice then Julia Garner should stick with her Anna Delvey voice.”
During a June 2022 interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Butler explained that it is difficult for him to shake Elvis’ dialect after transforming into the late icon onscreen.
“At this point, I keep asking people, ‘Is this my voice?’ because this feels like my real [voice],” he told the outlet at the time.
“It’s one of those things where certain things trigger it and other times as well it’s, I don’t know. When you live with something for two years, and you do nothing else, I think that you can’t help it. It becomes a fiber of your being.”