Austin Butler On Lisa Marie Presley Bond, Celebrating “Elvis” Nomination Amidst “Intense Grief”

In the leadup to the Oscars, Best Actor nominee Austin Butler is opening up about the bond he formed with Lisa Marie Presley while filming Baz Luhrmann's blockbuster biopic, Elvis. 

Butler was one of the last people to spend time with her before her untimely death last month.

"It feels weird to celebrate in a time of such intense grief," he said of his Oscar nomination for Elvis in a recent interview with Good Morning America. "I know how much this all meant to her and so I feel like just trying to carry all her legacy into all of it, you know, is the way forward."

Lisa Marie died on January 12, just two days after she and her mother Priscilla attended the Golden Globe awards in support of Butler, who won best actor for his portrayal of her father. 

The actor has spoken openly about how much Lisa Marie came to mean to him while bringing Elvis’ story to life. 

"I had so much time trying to understand her father,” Butler explained to ABC's Chris Connelly. “Trying to be inside his mind as much as I could. And I feel so much love for her through him.” 

“She's just such an incredible woman,” he continued. “Wherever she is right now, I feel like we all have a very powerful angel.”

Lisa Marie, who died at the age of 54 following an apparent cardiac arrest, crashed one of Butler’s red carpet interviews at the Globes. In a brief appearance, the Memphis native recalled what it was like seeing the actor bring her father to life on film for the first time.  

“It was mind blowing. Truly mind blowing,” Lisa Marie said. “I really didn’t know what to do with myself after I saw it. I had to take like five days to process it because it was so incredible and so spot on and so authentic. I can’t even describe what it meant.”

The 2023 Oscars will air live at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12 on ABC.