Austin Butler’s co-star on Dune 2 has revealed he’s finally ditched his Elvis accent – for now.
The actor won praise for his uncanny portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic last year, which recently landed him a Golden Globe award.
However, fans believe the 31-year-old has now permanently adopted Elvis’ accent, as his voice has undoubtedly changed since he played the iconic singer.
But according to actor Dave Bautista, Austin doesn’t sound like Elvis in his upcoming film Dune 2.
Austin will play Dave’s younger brother Feyd-Rautha in the sequel, which is set for release later this year.
“I don’t know who this guy was, but it’s not Austin Butler,” Dave told USA Today.
“It’s not Elvis. His voice is different, his look is different. Everything about his demeanor is terrifying.”
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Austin spent two years preparing for his Elvis role, and confessed he put his “life on pause” as he perfected the late singer’s accent and mannerisms.
Speaking at the 2023 Golden Globes on January 10, Austin said he will “always be linked” to Elvis after he was asked to address his accent change.
“I don’t think I sound like him still, but I guess I must because I hear it a lot,” he said.
“I had three years where that was my only focus. So, I’m sure there’s pieces of him in my DNA and I’ll always be linked.”
Irene Bartlett, who was Austin’s voice coach for Elvis, also came to his defence after the awards ceremony, after viewers poked fun at his accent during his acceptance speech.
“What you saw in that Golden Globes speech, that’s him,” she said. “It’s genuine, it’s not put on.”
“I feel sorry people are saying that, you know, it’s still acting [but] he’s actually taken [the voice] on board. I don’t know how long that will last, or if it’s going to be there forever.”
