Austin Butler Reacts to Oscar 2023 Nomination, Calls It 'Bittersweet' After Lisa Marie Presley's Tragic Death
Austin Butler is reacting to his first ever Oscar nomination for his work as Elvis Presley in the film Elvis.
He called the nomination bittersweet, as Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis‘ daughter, passed suddenly just a few weeks ago at the young age of 54.
While calling into the Today show, Austin said of the nomination, “It’s sort of a bittersweet moment right now because I think of how much I wish she was here right now to get to celebrate with me. It’s the same thing I feel with Elvis; I wish that they could see these moments, you know? It’s just sort of strange to celebrate at a time of such deep grief. But I sort of think of it as a way to honor her. This is for her.”
Keep reading to see what else he said…
In a separate interview with THR, Austin shared, “[This role] seemed as though it was this impossible mountain to climb in front of me. There were so many pitfalls and so I just was focusing on one step at a time. And really the thing for me was just honoring the life of this man and his family. And that’s why those moments when Lisa Marie and Priscilla [Presley] got to see the film and then I first saw them after… nothing I would do would ever top that. And especially with Lisa Marie not being here with us. I just wish she was here to celebrate today with us.”
“She was the most straightforward and supportive person. I know from all the times that we got to celebrate together how we would celebrate today, you know, and I wish she and Elvis were here to get to experience this time,” Austin continued.
He added, “It really puts things in perspective to where ultimately, the thing I’m most grateful for is that I was able to spend the time that I had with Lisa Marie, and also the time that I had in getting to live for three years exploring the life of her father. When I see moments like today or when I feel moments like today, I have to really take a second to go, ‘Okay, this is this is something to be really grateful for.’ But nothing compares to that moment I looked in her eyes after she first saw the film, where she told me how much it meant to her. I’ll really cherish that for the rest of my life.”