Love me timbre!
Austin Butler rocked his infamous “Elvis” accent at the Oscars on Sunday — much to the chagrin of fans tired of hearing his take on the southern drawl.
Live from the champagne carpet, Butler told ABC that being at the Oscars as a nominee “feels like an impossible dream” and he has to “pinch himself.”
“Every time I get up in front of people as myself I’m nervous,” he added with his Elvis flare.
Fans, however, would have prefer Butler just be himself vocally, with many poking fun on Twitter.
“Austin Butler still has a hint of that accent and I’m gonna shove him into a locker,” wrote one Twitter user.
“Sorry not sorry, but it’s so cringe to listen to Austin Butler speak with the Elvis accent,” chimed in another.
One even joked: “take a shot every time austin butler uses the elvis accent tonight.”
At least one fan was impressed he was still putting on the accent, writing: “austin butler deserves an oscar simply for not losing that damn accent.”
E! red carpet host Laverne Cox asked Butler what his favorite part of “embodying” Elvis was since he has previously said the character “became a part of fiber of [his] being.”
The actor responded that he feels like a different man after the process and it’s hard to pick just one thing “because it’s such a part of my life.”
The 31-year-old California native was nominated for Best Actor for playing the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.”
Butler’s voice has a noticeably deeper pitch since he performed in the drama, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022.
“The Carrie Diaries” alum said he spent over two years prepping for the performance, not even seeing his family for a long time as he immersed himself in the role.
He explained in June 2022 how he couldn’t get rid of Elvis’ famous Southern baritone following shooting, telling Elle Australia at the time that he attributed his new twang to “muscular habits.”
“Your mouth can change. It’s pretty amazing. I know that I’m constantly changing. Check in with me in 20 years when I’ve played a lot of roles. Who knows what I’ll sound like,” Butler joked.
For his part, Luhrmann told The Post at BFI’s “Baz Luhrmann in Conversation” September event how Butler “never broke character.”
“He was in character 24/7, seven days a week for two years,” Luhrmann, 60, continued. “I never heard him actually speak as Austin Butler until about three weeks ago.”
At the 2023 Golden Globes in January, Butler scored the award for best performance by an actor in a drama. Fans called out his “cringe” voice — noting that he still sounded like the Memphis crooner.
“I don’t know literally anything about Austin Butler at all, but does he ‘actually’ talk like this #GoldenGlobes,” one viewer tweeted during the ceremony.
Another person wondered: “Is Austin Butler going to sound like Elvis forever or?”
During backstage press interviews at the awards show, the “Life Unexpected” star defended his distinctive Elvis tone, stating: “I don’t think I sound like him still, but I guess I must because I hear it a lot.”
“I often liken it to when somebody lives in another country for a long time, and I had three years where that was my only focus in life,” he reasoned. “So, I’m sure there’s just pieces of my DNA that will always be linked in that way.”
Butler’s singing coach, Irene Bartlett, told ABC Gold Coast in January that she believes it’s “difficult to switch off something you’ve spent so much focus time on.”
She attributed his inability to change his voice to COVID-19 shutdowns, explaining he spent years creating a “connection” with Elvis’ personality. The music icon died in 1977 at the age of 42.
The “Masters of the Air” star further addressed his vocalization after his Golden Globe win, reiterating to the Los Angeles Times how he doesn’t “even think about it.”
“If I was trying to sound like Elvis, I would sound very different right now,” Butler said. “I think it’s sort of amusing to me how much people want to focus on this one thing.”
It wasn’t until he appeared on the British chat show “The Graham Norton Show” last month that he revealed he was changing his tone.
“I am getting rid of the accent, but I have probably damaged my vocal cords with all that singing,” he quipped. “One song took 40 takes!”
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