With writer-director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis now playing in theaters around the world, I recently got to speak with Olivia DeJonge about playing Priscilla Presley in the biopic. As you’ve seen in the trailers, Elvis is about the complicated relationship between Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) and Elvis Presley (Austin Butler). 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.
As I have said many times, Austin 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, Luke Bracey as Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett as Dixie Locke, David Wenham as Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as B.B. King, 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.
During the interview, DeJonge talked about what it was like trying to portray Priscilla Presley, how long before she felt comfortable in the role, if she ever wanted to leave set wearing one of the incredible costumes, deleted scenes, and some of the things she was surprised to learn while researching the role.
Watch what Olivia DeJonge had to say in the player above, and below is exactly what we talked about.
Olivia DeJonge
- What was it like trying to portray Priscilla Presley and how long before she felt comfortable in the role?
- If she could have taken something home from set, what would she have taken and why?
- Did she ever want to leave set and wear her costumes in public?
- What were some of the things that really surprised her when researching the role?
- What were some of the deleted scenes she was sad to see cut?
