Elvis: Kelvin Harrison Jr. on B.B. King & Austin Butler’s Performance
76With writer-director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis opening in theaters this weekend around the world, I recently got to speak with Kelvin Harrison Jr. about playing B.B. King in the biopic. During the interview, Butler talked about what he was surprised to learn about B.B. King and Elvis while prepping for the role, his reaction seeing Austin Butler as Elvis on set for the first time, why he was blown away by his performance, his reaction seeing the finished film for the first time and the way Luhrmann edited the movie, and more.
As you can see in the trailers, Elvis is about the complicated relationship between Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) and Elvis Presley. The film tells Elvis’ story from Parker’s point of view, and it spans over two decades and includes Presley’s rise to fame against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.
Butler is superb in the role and actually sings Presley’s early songs in the film. His performance alone is reason to see the film. Elvis also stars Helen Thomson as Elvis’s mother, Gladys, Richard Roxburgh as Elvis’s father, Vernon, Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley, Luke Bracey as Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett as Dixie Locke, David Wenham as Hank Snow, Xavier Samuel as Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jimmie Rodgers Snow. To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.
Watch what Kelvin Harrison Jr. had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Which of his friends and family were the most excited he was cast in Elvis?
What was he surprised to learn about B.B. King and Elvis while preparing for the role?
What was his reaction seeing Butler as Elvis on set for the first time?
How they did jam sessions with Butler as Elvis.
What was it like watching the film for the first time and seeing the way Luhrmann edited the movie?
#Elvis #KelvinHarrisonJr #BBKing
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