Elvis Presley became immortal thanks to his music. But the King of Rock really wanted to become a serious actor in Hollywood. Sadly, those dreams never came to pass. Although he starred in 30 films, Presley often felt like a novelty act. He never got to star in a serious film that allowed him to explore his acting.
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Jason Hehir's new Netflix documentary Return of the King: The Fall & Rise of Elvis Presley focuses on Presley's dissatisfaction with Hollywood. Hehir spoke with Fox News about the singer.
"I have seen just about every documentary done on Elvis Presley, and I haven't seen too many that explore his journey in the '60s," Hehir said. "I was interested in exploring his decision to play in front of a live audience for the first time in seven years. . . . And 1968 was the biggest crossroads of Elvis's life. It made sense to take a deep dive."
Previously, Presley opened up about feeling like he was just doing cash grabs.
Elvis Presley And Hollywood
"Hollywood's image of me was wrong, and I knew it, and I couldn't do anything about it," said Presley. "I didn't know what to do. I just felt I was obligated to things I didn't fully believe in. They couldn't have paid me no amount of money in the world to make me feel I had any satisfaction inside," Presley added
Ultimately, Presley became depressed and grew physically ill. It reached a point where he couldn't even get out of bed.
"He was deeply dissatisfied. He couldn't get out of bed," said Hehir. "Many . . . don't realize how disappointed he was. . . . He was taking these movie roles and seemingly just taking the easy way out and cashing enormous checks. But it wasn't his ambition as an artist. It had always been a frustration for him. . . . He couldn't even get out of bed because he was so starved for an artistic challenge. But he had locked himself into these movie contracts, and his management had allowed him to be locked into these movie contracts."
Ultimately, Presley made a comeback that revitalized his career before his star faded in the Vegas years. However, Elvis never got the chance to be the actor he wanted to be.
"We still don't know what kind of actor Elvis could have become," Hehir reflected. "His movie career just dried up. It was so mismanaged that he never got a chance to develop as an actor and demonstrate any sort of acting skills. . . . But I think he also recognized what he truly loved."
