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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their nominations for the 2023 Oscars on Jan. 24, and Austin Butler can officially add “Oscar nominee” to his impressive résumé. The actor, who’s seen critical acclaim for his performance as Elvis Presley in the Baz Luhrmann film “Elvis,” snagged an Oscar nomination for the role in the best actor category. He’s up against stiff competition, his fellow nominees including, Colin Farrell for his role in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Brendan Fraser for “The Whale,” Paul Mescal for “Aftersun,” and Bill Nighy for “Living.”
Butler’s nomination is bittersweet, coming just over a week after Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’s daughter, died at the age of 54 from cardiac arrest on Jan. 12. Lisa Marie was an outspoken fan and supporter of “Elvis” the movie and Butler as the actor who took on the role of her late father. On May 14, 2022, after seeing “Elvis” twice, she wrote on Twitter that the movie “is nothing short of spectacular. Absolutely exquisite.” Of Butler’s performance, she added, “Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father’s heart & soul beautifully.” In a second tweet, she wrote, “In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully. (If he doesn’t get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha.)”
This is not Butler’s first major award for his role in “Elvis.” He previously took home the award for best actor at the 2023 Golden Globes Awards on Jan. 10. Lisa Marie was in attendance to see him accept the award, and it seems she spoke his recent Oscar nomination into existence.
Following Lisa Marie’s death, Butler released a statement (via Variety) saying, “My heart is completely shattered for Riley, Finley, Harper, and Priscilla at the tragic and unexpected loss of Lisa Marie. I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to be near her bright light, and will forever cherish the quiet moments we shared. Her warmth, her love, and her authenticity will always be remembered.”
