You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: In one of the last scenes of the new “Elvis” movie, Elvis is seated singing and playing the piano, not in good health, with a puffy face and sweating profusely. It appears to me that was the real Elvis. Or was it the same actor who portrayed him throughout?
A: Both. The climactic performance of “Unchained Melody” in the film had Austin Butler as Elvis leading into the real man’s performance. Matt Villa, an editor on the film, told Variety that “it was a huge job putting Austin into that makeup, and that was the most significant of his makeup. … He did sing [“Unchained Melody”] in its entirety because there was a question mark towards the end as to whether we were going to get the real footage of Elvis and if we would be allowed to use it. … Thankfully that famous footage came through and we were able to use it, and that’s the real Elvis. It’s so interesting that a lot of people don’t realize we cut to the real Elvis because it punches me in the heart every time I see that scene and you see Elvis’ face.”
