7 Actors Who Played Elvis Before Austin Butler

Published on June 14, 2022 at 5:30 PM

When Austin Butler shimmies his way onto the screen in Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis," he'll join an exclusive club of actors who have played the "King of Rock and Roll" over the past several decades. Elvis Presley's life, his meteoric rise to fame in the 1950s, and his long and storied career have inspired dozens of fictional portrayals over the years, from full-fledged biopics to silly comedy cameos. While many of these depictions of Elvis have been for small projects, obscure movies, or long-forgotten made-for-TV movies, others have stuck around in our collective memory.

We've rounded up some of the most memorable portrayals of Elvis so far. Scroll through the gallery ahead to see how many versions of "the King" you recognize!

Austin Butler as Elvis in "Elvis" (2022)

Butler is the most recent actor to take on the role of Elvis, thanks to Baz Luhrmann's biopic. The movie covers a large portion of his life, focusing on his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). Butler sings some of the music on the movie's soundtrack alongside actual recordings of the real Elvis.

Drake Milligan as Elvis in "Sun Records" (2017)

This CMT miniseries follows Elvis and his fellow Sun Records musicians as they rise to fame in the 1950s, dealing with the costs of stardom and their personal demons along the way. It's loosely based on the Broadway musical "Million Dollar Quartet," in which Eddie Clendening originated the role of Elvis.

Michael Shannon as Elvis in "Elvis & Nixon" (2016)

Based loosely on a true story and a famous photograph, this movie depicts a strange meeting between two very unexpected people: Elvis Presley and then-President Richard Nixon. Shannon plays Elvis in his mid-30s, as the counterculture of the 1970s sets him adrift.

Jack White as Elvis in "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (2007)

A parody of midcentury rock-'n'-roll biopics wouldn't be complete without an appearance from the King! He has a cameo appearance as part of Dewey's early career, with Dewey performing at the same concert as Elvis.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis in "Elvis: The Early Years" (2005)

Meyers ditched his Irish accent to take on Elvis's signature drawl for this CBS biographical miniseries. As the title suggests, it's focused on the early days of Elvis's fame, from his being discovered as a teenager to catapulting to global fame. Meyers won the Golden Globe Award for best actor in a miniseries or television film for his performance.

Tyler Hilton as Elvis in "Walk the Line" (2005)

Hilton has a supporting role as a young Elvis in this biopic of fellow Sun Records musician Johnny Cash. He's mostly seen early on touring with Cash and two other future legends: Carl Perkins and Johnny Lee Lewis.

Michael St. Gerard as Elvis in "Elvis" (1990)

St. Gerard played Elvis not once, not twice, but three times! After appearing in cameo roles in two movies ("Heartbreak Hotel" and "Great Balls of Fire!") in 1989, he went on to star as Elvis in a TV series about the musician's life. The show followed Elvis's early career and rise to stardom but was canceled and turned into an ABC miniseries instead.

David Scott as Elvis in "This Is Elvis" (1981)

This 1981 documentary relies on both archival footage of the real Elvis and performances from four different actors. Scott portrayed Elvis at age 18, and he also provided the vocals for those scenes. Paul Boensch II played 10-year-old Elvis, Dana MacKay played him at age 35, and Johnny Harra portrayed Elvis at age 42, the year of his death.