Elvis Cast Talk Portraying Icons in Baz Luhrmann's Film

1 Olivia DeJonge on Playing Priscilla Presley in "Elvis"

Nerves almost got the best of DeJonge when it came time to play Elvis's ex-wife Priscilla Presley on screen, but the actor noted that her castmates made the experience all the more comfortable for her. "I felt like I was in pretty good hands," she said. "There was a lot of love behind this film, and you could really feel that."

Though DeJonge didn't have the chance to consult with Priscilla about her portrayal during production for "Elvis," she did eventually get to connect with her and earn her cosign. "The first time that I heard she'd seen ['Elvis'] was when she posted on Instagram and she wrote this beautiful caption about it," DeJonge said. "I remember I was eating cereal and I was like, 'You are kidding. You are kidding.' Yeah, it was a huge sigh of relief . . . her support has gone above and beyond what any of us thought possible."

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2 Kelvin Harrison Jr. on Playing B.B. King in "Elvis"

Image Source: Warner Bros.

Harrison's "Elvis" casting was announced back in December 2020. The first thing the actor did after he was picked to play B.B. King, aka the King of the Blues, was start researching the musician's history. "I was like, 'OK, I should probably start looking up interviews of him because I have three weeks [before filming]. I heard Austin Butler's been prepping for two years,'" he said. "That was my first task. I'm like, 'OK, let's start.' I got a playlist going, started listening to the music, and getting myself hyped up."

As one of Butler's scene partners, Harrison noted that the actor was so humble. "Sometimes when you meet certain actors, you kind of get nervous because they get really serious and 'actory.' But I think Austin and I were kind of like, we're very serious about our craft, but we're also like, 'Let's have a good time as B.B. and Elvis would,'" he said. "I think my job as B.B. King in that space and as Kelvin to Austin was to bring some light and some levity to the situation, while also just encouraging and empowering him through the final run of the race as he played Elvis."

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3 Alton Mason on Playing Little Richard in "Elvis"

Image Source: Warner Bros.

Like any actor who's scored the role of a lifetime, Mason admitted he shed a few tears when he learned he'd be starring as Little Richard in Luhrmann's "Elvis." "I cried and I ate some hot wings," he joked. "But the first thing I did was, one, pray and celebrate with my family, but then really dive into the research immediately on Little Richard's background, where he came from, his interviews, performances. I mean, this is the guy that paved the way for everyone you see right now, from Miguel to Prince, Andre 3000, and Childish Gambino. So it felt like a big responsibility for me to carry this and really pay homage to him and honor his family."

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4 Yola on Playing Sister Rosetta Tharpe in "Elvis"

Image Source: Warner Bros.

Singer-songwriter Yola was an early casting for "Elvis," taking on the role of gospel artist and rock 'n' roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She was originally set to just help out on the film's soundtrack, but Luhrmann had bigger plans for her.

"[Baz] saw something, and he was like, 'You have a thing with acting.' I'm like, 'Oh, I did used to do this sample replay job' — where I had to take samples that will go to DJs and producers who want to cut a little bit. They need the energy [from an artist], not just the note perfectness, so you had to act to get the energy right, too. So, weirdly, I'd done the thing that I need to do to get the role, but had no idea that I'd done that. It was hard work."

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