Advertisement

Austin Butler says he owes 'clairvoyant' ex Vanessa Hudgens for believing he should be Elvis

Austin Butler says he owes 'clairvoyant' ex Vanessa Hudgens for believing he should be Elvis

Oscar nominee Austin Butler isn't forgetting where he came from or the people who may or may not be psychic in his not-too-distant past.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Butler clarifies a previous comment he made about a "friend" who told him "You've got to play Elvis" just shortly before he heard about Baz Luhrmann brining that iconic pelvis to the big screen.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 22: Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler attend Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" Los Angeles Premiere on July 22, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 22: Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler attend Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" Los Angeles Premiere on July 22, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

"The month before I heard that Baz was making the movie," Butler said during The Hollywood Reporter's Actor Roundtable, "I was going to look at Christmas lights with a friend, and there was an Elvis Christmas song on the radio, and I was singing along, and my friend looked over at me and goes, 'You've got to play Elvis.' I said, 'Oh, that's such a long shot.' Then my agent called and said, 'So Baz Luhrmann is making an Elvis film …' The hairs just stood up on my arms."

Butler confirmed to the L.A. Times that this friend was in fact his then-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens, adding, "We'd been together for so long and she had this sort of clairvoyant moment and so I really, I owe her a lot for believing in me."

Butler and Hudgens dated from 2011 to 2020, but he's been dating Cindy Crawford's daughter, model Kaia Gerber, since late 2021.

The Oscar-nominee has come a long way since his days on Nickelodeon and Disney, facing off against four other first-time nominees in the Best Actor category:  Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Bill Nighy (Living), and Paul Mescal (Aftersun).

"Three years ago I got the role of a lifetime and have been living in a dream ever since," Butler said of his nomination in a statement. "It has been my honor and privilege to take on the role of the icon, father, husband, and son — Elvis Presley. This was a labor of love for everyone involved. Thank you to the Academy for recognizing our film and so many of the creatives involved. I share in this surreal moment with Baz, Catherine, Tom, Olivia, Mandy, Gail and the entire cast and crew of Elvis. To my fellow nominees, your work is inspiring and I am proud to be in this moment with you. My overwhelming gratitude to the Presley family is immeasurable. You opened your arms to me and I will never forget it. No words can describe the profound impact you have had on me. This is a dream I will never forget."

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content: