Austin Butler’s strict dedication to researching Elvis Presley before taking on the role of the music icon has left the actor “embodying” the late singer, an expert reckons.
Butler, 30, has previously stated he wanted to portray the singer as a person, rather than be a “caricature” of the late star and instead wanted to get to know the person behind the fame.
While some criticised Austin’s portrayal of the Unchained Melody hitmaker, giving mixed reviews, it appears that Elvis, who died 45 years ago, has not left the building.
READ MORE: Elvis Presley’s ‘secret children’ claims – bombshell book, ‘Elvis Jnr’ and court battles
Leading body language expert and celebrity psychic Inbaal Honigam has explained that parts of Elvis’ personality and characteristics have stayed with Butler.
(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, she said: “Butler’s body language, in footage from earlier in his career, is shy, sweet, and eager to please.
“He smiles constantly but his lips are a little pursed around his smile, showing that it’s not a smile full of joy, but a front-display smile, showcasing his kind nature but also betraying the fact that he’s worried he might say the wrong words.
“He talks with his hands a little bit, which is natural when people try to explain things, but his moves are reserved and scarce, not bold and confident, so he’s yet to grow into his confidence.”
(Image: Getty Images)
She went on to add: “His brow is furrowed a lot, in a concerned facial expression, even when he smiles, as he concentrates on his conversation with the interviewer, he doesn’t turn his body fully towards the interviewer, which shows he doesn’t feel safe.
“He keeps facing forward and looks sideways at the microphone, there’s shy, and then there’s insecure, and in his pre-Elvis interviews, Butler shows himself to be a bit of both.
“Very interestingly, in interview footage from early on in Elvis’s career, he displays signs of similar discomfort, though in subtly different ways.
“Old black and white footage shows a young Elvis, chewing gum on camera, which does not make him look confident at all, as his eyes dart from side to side, demonstrating how unsafe he feels in that situation, uncomfortable and insecure about which words to pick when he’s got to speak, rather than dance and sing.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Inbaal continued: “Both Butler and Presley share a distinct shared feature, propelled to legendary status thanks to the shyness they have in common.
“They both have epic, round, high cheekbones, which would have been a curious physical similarity and not more, however, both men have a tendency to look down for long seconds while talking and smiling, and this creates a charming effect in making the cheekbones appear more prominent, almost obscuring their lower eyelashes.”
But, she went on to suggest that Butler has completely transformed after portraying the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
She added: “Post Elvis movie, Austin Butler’s body language has matured as has his confidence. He uses his hands a lot more when he talks, which shows that he trusts people to be engaged with his message, and his forehead is smoother which shows that he’s not plagued with disruptive thoughts as much as he was.
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“He is still shy, which is evidenced by his looking down often, and covering his mouth with his hand, so we can see that he’s not full of himself at all. What is interesting though, is that Elvis himself, even after decades of praise and success, still routinely displayed many traits of shyness with his body language.
“In later interviews, Presley, like Butler, uses his hands a lot more, his smile is broader, showing he has developed a lot more self-confidence, but his chin is still lowered frequently, his eyes still dart swiftly to pay attention to others.
“Those traits show us that he is still a humble person, and still remembers that his public image and his real personality are two different people.”
(Image: Getty Images)
The expert, who is also a witch, concluded: “Butler’s voice has deepened significantly since playing Elvis, and he’s certainly borrowed many of The King’s behavioural traits and even some facial tics.
“In the same way that living in a different area can influence someone’s native accent, similarly Austin Butler’s dedication to researching and filming the Elvis movie over two years has influenced the performer in many ways.
“He embodies Elvis’s stage confidence while still keeping himself modest, which is so much more evident, as it is such a rare combination.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
