I first met Austin Butler back in 2022 while he was in Australia promoting the movie Elvis, in which he plays the controversial king of rock. During the press tour, reporters soon learned that despite having completed the movie well before, Elvis had not left the building. Or at least, his accent had not.
“I’ve noticed that you’ve still got a bit of the Elvis twang, do you think it’s here to stay?” I asked him at the time.
“Check back in with me in 10 years as I play other roles… it sticks with you!”
Before long, his lingering accent had become a viral topic of conversation. People were praising Austin for mastering the thick twang, but they were equally bewildered (and somewhat concerned) by the fact that it appeared like he might be stuck with it forever.
Two years on, we’re back in the same hotel chatting about his latest film The Bikeriders — a film adaptation of the book of the same title by Danny Lyon about the formation of a bikie gang in the late 60s and early 70s.
His Elvis accent has scaled back completely, but he’s still baffled by the fact that it “became part of the conversation” in the first place.
When asked if he expected the public’s fascination with his lingering accent, he said “no, not at all” with a laugh.
“I was so scared during that time that everyone would see the film and say I looked nothing like him. While making the film you just have no idea how it’s going to turn out. I never anticipated that that would become part of the conversation afterwards. I find it hilarious.”
Austin Butler in Elvis.
In The Bikeriders, Austin plays the lead role of Benny, one of the gang members who falls for scrappy local gal Kathy (played by the fabulous Jodie Comer). While Austin’s voice is much more subdued for this role, Jodie Comer gives him a run for his money in the accent department by sporting a thick Chicago-specific dialect.
I asked Austin if he gave Jodie any tips for perfecting the accent, to which he responded: “I didn’t need to give her any tips, she was on top of it. She was amazing. She worked so hard and she had an amazing dialect coach, Victoria, and they spent many months working on that beforehand.”
Love birds Benny (Austin Butler) and Kathy (Jodie Comer) in The Bikeriders.
The movie has a surprising amount of heart and soul as it captures the camaraderie that exists within bikie gangs.
In order to get into the spirit of the film, the cast — which consists of a bunch of other legends including Tom Hardy (The
Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Take Shelter), Mike Faist (West Side Story,
Challengers) and Aussies Damon Herriman (Justified, Mr Inbetween) and Toby Wallace (Babyteeth, Pistol) — got up to some shenanigans in the downtime.
Austin recounted how he and the other actors “did a few things” together when they weren’t filming.
“We all went go-kart racing together at this place where they had four things, there’s go-kart racing axe throwing and there was a rage room. You ever been to one of those? Where you just break shit? It was incredible. I didn’t realise how much rage I had to get out.”
The film is a must-see at the movies. It’s got a gripping storyline that’ll have you hooked, complex characters who you’ll fall in love with, and it doesn’t hurt seeing Austin’s face on the big screen… especially when he’s playing a character as dreamy as this one.
The Bikeriders hits cinemas on July 4 and I can’t wait to head back to the cinemas for another wild ride.
Catch our full chat below:
Matt Galea is PTV’s Managing Editor and resident astrologer who pens your monthly astrology horoscope. He recently released his first book titled How To Spot The (Star) Signs. You can find him on Instagram and TikTok.
The post Austin Butler Is Still Stunned His Elvis Accent Went So Viral: ‘I Never Anticipated That’ appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
