He was “all shook up.”
Austin Butler recalled being hospitalized and bedridden for a week after he finished filming “Elvis.”
“I had a week of downtime, where I actually ended up in the hospital,” Butler, 31, told People on the 2023 SAG Awards red carpet on Sunday. “I didn’t get sick the entire time I filmed [‘Elvis’] but the day I finished, I ended up in the emergency room.”
He added, “So, I spent a week in bed and then I went to this other job.”
Despite his health setbacks, Butler called his time working on the movie “the greatest ride of my life.”
Last May, the “Carrie Diaries” alum revealed that his body started “shutting down” after he wrapped the Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic.
“The next day, I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain and I was rushed to hospital,” Butler told GQ at the time.
He ended up being diagnosed with a virus that simulates appendicitis and had to stay in bed for an entire week while he recuperated.
Butler put everything he had into portraying Elvis Presley and he is now being recognized for all his hard work.
Last month, he took home the 2023 Golden Globe award for Best Actor and was notoriously trolled when he accepted the trophy while speaking in the accent he used for his role as the King of Rock and Roll.
After the awards show, Butler denied that he was using a fake accent. His voice coach later defended the actor, claiming the southern-sounding drawl would most likely be permanent.
“What you saw in that Golden Globes speech, that’s him. It’s genuine, it’s not put on,” Irene Bartlett told ABC Gold Coast in January. “I feel sorry people are saying that, you know, it’s still acting, [but] he’s actually taken [the voice of Presley] on board.”
But Butler, who said he put his life on “pause” for two years to prep for the movie, admitted this month that he would try to shake the sound of his voice and get back to his natural accent.
“I am getting rid of the accent, but I have probably damaged my vocal cords with all that singing,” he said on Britain’s “The Graham Norton Show” at the time, adding, “One song took 40 takes!”
Butler didn’t just take the “Hound Dog” singer’s voice into consideration while preparing for his role. He also formed a close bond with the late legend’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, and their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.
Last month, both Priscilla and Lisa Marie accompanied Butler to the Golden Globes to show their support for him and they both looked teary-eyed when he accepted his award.
But days later, Lisa Marie died at the age of 54 after going into cardiac arrest.
“My heart is completely shattered for Riley, Finley, Harper and Priscilla at the tragic and unexpected loss of Lisa Marie,” Butler said in a statement to E! News at the time, referring to the late singer’s daughters and mother.
He added, “I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to be near her bright light and will forever cherish the quiet moments we shared,” he continued. “Her warmth, her love and her authenticity will always be remembered.”
Butler honored Lisa Marie’s memory by attending her public memorial service at Graceland with his girlfriend, Kaia Gerber, by his side.
