Tessa Quinn
Austin Butler was hospitalized after filming the Baz Luhrmann biopic 'Elvis', in which he portrays the titular character. In an interview with British GQ, Butler revealed that he was rushed to the hospital the day after filming for the musical biopic concluded. He was diagnosed with a virus simulating appendicitis symptoms and was bedridden for a week. Butler attributed his physical and mental health struggles to the intense preparation and immersion in the role of Elvis Presley, which included learning to talk, sing, and move like the musician.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Actor | Austin Butler |
| Movie Name | Elvis |
| Director | Baz Luhrmann |
| Reason for Hospitalization | Appendicitis-like pain due to a virus |
| Time of Hospitalization | The day after filming ended |
| Recovery Time | One week |
| Role | Elvis Presley |
| Movie Type | Biopic |
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What You'll Learn
Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis Presley was all-consuming
Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis Presley in the biopic "Elvis" was all-consuming. The actor was hospitalized immediately after production wrapped, as his body "revolted" once principal photography was completed. He woke up at 4 a.m. the next day with excruciating pain and was rushed to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a virus simulating appendicitis symptoms. He spent a week in bed recovering. Butler attributed this physical reaction to no longer being in character as Presley, as his body started shutting down the day after he finished filming.
Butler's devotion to becoming Elvis on-screen was so intense that he lost touch with himself. He sought to precisely emulate the musical icon as much as possible by reading, watching, and listening to everything about Elvis. He worked with a movement coach to move like Elvis, learned to talk and sing like him, and even studied animals that resembled the late singer. Butler's immersion into his role was so complete that he began to sound like Elvis, and his perfected Southern drawl was mistaken for his natural speaking voice by director Baz Luhrmann.
The actor's dedication to the role extended beyond his physical transformation. Butler spent three years away from his family during the preparation and filming of "Elvis." He chose to remain in Australia when production was shut down due to COVID-19 to continue studying Elvis, surrounding himself with images of the singer from every time period. Butler's commitment to the role was so intense that he experienced a form of burnout, pushing himself to the brink.
The aftermath of the "Elvis" shoot saw Butler suffer a string of health scares, including temporary blindness and a sharp, stabbing pain in his foot caused by a shard of glass. These incidents left him hospitalized and scared for his life. However, Butler has since rebuilt his life after "Elvis" and burnout, finding a new path and resilience. He has gone on to star in various high-profile and varied films, including "Caught Stealing" and "Enemies."
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He was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe pain
Playing the titular role of Elvis Presley in the biopic "Elvis" took a toll on Austin Butler both mentally and physically. In an interview with British GQ, Butler revealed that he was hospitalized the day after filming for the musical biopic concluded.
Butler shared that he woke up at 4 in the morning with excruciating pain and was rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a virus simulating appendicitis symptoms and was bedridden for a week. Butler attributed this physical reaction to no longer being in character as Presley. He said:
> "My body just started shutting down the day after I finished 'Elvis.' My family said I didn't sound like me anymore."
Butler's devotion to becoming Elvis on-screen was so intense that he remained immersed in the character even after filming ended. He sought to emulate Presley as closely as possible by reading, watching, and listening to everything about Elvis. He worked with a movement coach to move like Elvis, learned to talk and sing like him, and even studied animals that resembled the late singer.
Butler's experience highlights the potential risks of fully immersing oneself into a character, and the physical and mental toll it can take on an actor even after filming has wrapped.
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Butler was diagnosed with a virus simulating appendicitis
Austin Butler was hospitalized after filming for the musical biopic "Elvis" concluded. In an interview with British GQ, Butler revealed that he woke up at 4 in the morning with excruciating pain and was rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a virus simulating appendicitis and was bedridden for a week. Butler attributed his physical reaction to no longer being in character as Elvis Presley.
Butler's portrayal of the music icon in the upcoming biopic is considered a career-defining role for the actor. However, his experience filming the movie was so intense that he had to be hospitalized immediately after production wrapped. Butler had spent nearly three years immersed in his character, learning how to talk, sing, and move like Presley, even down to the facial expressions. This devotion to becoming Elvis on-screen took a toll on his physical and mental health.
Butler's work ethic and immersion into his role as Elvis were noted by the film's director, Baz Luhrmann, who stated that Butler's dedication was unlike any actor he had ever worked with. Butler's performance in the film received widespread acclaim, with Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, calling it "unprecedented," "accurate," and "respectful." Despite the health scare after filming, Butler appears to have recovered well, and his career has continued to gain momentum with roles in various high-profile films and miniseries.
Butler's health issues after "Elvis" were not limited to the virus simulating appendicitis. He also experienced temporary blindness, which he attributed to sleep deprivation and overwork. This incident occurred while he was flying to shoot "The Bikeriders." Butler experienced a terrible migraine and lost his vision for several minutes, feeling convinced that he was dying. These health scares prompted Butler to ease up on the pressure to constantly perfect his craft, which helped dial back the frequency of these medical issues.
Butler's hospitalization and subsequent diagnosis of a virus simulating appendicitis highlight the physical and mental toll that immersive roles can have on actors. His experience underscores the importance of self-care and taking breaks, even when dedicated to a character and one's craft.
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He spent a week in bed recovering from the virus
Playing the titular role in Elvis took a toll on Austin Butler both mentally and physically. In an interview with British GQ, Butler revealed that he was hospitalized the day after filming for the musical biopic concluded. He woke up at 4 in the morning with excruciating pain and was rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a virus simulating appendicitis symptoms and was bedridden for a week.
Butler attributed his physical reaction to no longer being in character as Presley. "My body just started shutting down the day after I finished 'Elvis'," he said. Butler's devotion to the role was such that he had images of Elvis everywhere in his apartment and listened only to Elvis. Butler's immersion into his role was so complete that the director, Baz Luhrmann, didn't realize that Butler's perfected Southern drawl wasn't his natural speaking voice. Butler's voice had come to mimic Elvis Presley's so closely that multiple outlets noted the difference in the California native's tone while he was being interviewed on the 2022 Met Gala red carpet.
Butler's health issues didn't end with the virus. He also suffered temporary blindness, which he attributed to sleep deprivation and overwork. During a flight to shoot The Bikeriders, he woke up with a terrible migraine and lost his vision for several minutes. He also experienced a sudden, sharp pain in his foot, which turned out to be caused by a shard of glass.
Despite these health scares, Butler's career has only gained momentum since Elvis, with roles in movies like Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing and Jeff Nichols's The Bikeriders.
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Butler's devotion to the role took a toll on his mental health
Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis Presley in the biopic Elvis is considered a career-defining role for the actor. However, his experience filming the movie was so intense that he had to be hospitalized immediately after production wrapped.
Butler's devotion to the role of Elvis Presley was all-consuming. He spent nearly three years immersed in the character, learning how to talk, sing, and move like the musician, even down to the facial expressions. He sought to precisely emulate the musical icon as much as he could by reading, watching, and listening to everything about Elvis. He worked with a movement coach and studied animals that resembled the late singer. Butler's dedication to the role was such that he lost touch with himself, and his family noticed the change in him.
The intense preparation and filming process took a toll on Butler's mental health. He shared that he would appear different, even among family. "My family said I didn't sound like me anymore," he said. Butler's voice had come to mimic Elvis Presley's so closely that multiple outlets noted the difference in his tone while he was being interviewed on the red carpet.
The actor's immersion in the role was so complete that even after filming for the biopic concluded, he found himself still emulating Elvis. Butler shared that he began imagining the role from a different perspective, and struggled with the contrast between the glamour of being Elvis and the sudden normalcy of his own life. Butler's experience highlights the potential mental health impact of intense devotion to a role, and the challenge of separating oneself from a character after filming concludes.
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Frequently asked questions
Butler was rushed to the hospital after filming 'Elvis' due to excruciating pain, which was later diagnosed as a virus simulating appendicitis symptoms.
Butler revealed that his experience filming 'Elvis' was intense, and he had to be hospitalized immediately after production wrapped. He also shared that he felt mentally and physically affected by the role, and his body started shutting down after filming ended.
From the time Austin Butler was cast as Elvis in 2019 to the end of filming in 2021, he spent over a year and a half connected to the role.
Butler immersed himself in the role by reading, watching, and listening to everything about Elvis. He worked with a movement coach to move like Elvis, learned to talk and sing like him, and studied animals that resembled the singer.
