Academy Award nominee Austin Butler turned heads at the 2023 Academy Awards with a classic old Hollywood look fit for a King. Butler, who's nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's 9-time Oscar-nominated Elvis, wore a slim-fitting tux, pairing the ensemble with black boots for a stroll down the red — er, champagne, carpet.
This marks Butler's first nomination and the gravity of the moment certainly isn't lost on the actor.
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"I've been acting since I was 12 years old and this has always felt like an almost impossible dream to be here," Butler told ABC news during an interview ahead of the ceremony.
Butler's performance has earned praise from the Presley family, including Priscilla Presley, Elvis' ex-wife, and Lisa Marie, the only child of Elvis and Priscilla. Both were in attendance when Butler won Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama at the 2023 Golden Globes and were visibly emotional during his heartfelt acceptance speech.
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Just a few days after the Golden Globes, Lisa Marie Presley passed away at 54.
"It feels weird to celebrate in a time of such intense grief," Butler said of his Oscar nomination for Elvis in an interview with Good Morning America. "I know how much this all meant to her and so I feel like just trying to carry all her legacy into all of it, you know, is the way forward."
Butler shared an incredible bond with Lisa Marie and has said he felt protected by her during the experience, calling her a "very powerful angel."
Fellow actor Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, who's currently starring in Daisy Jones & The Six, says Butler "captured the humanity" of her grandfather.
Last year, Lisa Marie took to social media to praise Butler, calling his performance "unprecedented."
"I do want to take a moment to let you know that I have seen Baz Luhrmann's movie 'Elvis' twice now, and let me tell you that it is nothing short of spectacular," she wrote in 2022. "Absolutely exquisite. Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father's heart and soul beautifully. In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully. (If he doesn't get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha.)"
Butler is competing against Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Paul Mescal (Aftersun) and Bill Nighy (Living) for the Oscar.
