Elvis star Austin Butler has revealed he was rushed to hospital days after filming ended because his body started “shutting down”.
The 30-year-old heartthrob, who plays the lead role in Baz Luhrmann’s latest movie, admitted he woke up in “excruciating pain” shortly after the production wrapped.
Speaking to GQ, Butler explained he woke up in the early morning before his hospital dash, where he learned he had a virus.
“I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to hospital,” Butler explained. “My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis.”
He was bedridden for a week after he was diagnosed with a virus that appears to mimic the symptoms of appendicitis. Luckily, Butler has since bounced back.
The star has received rave reviews after Luhrmann’s Elvis was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Reflecting further upon the role, it seems that Butler has a strong connection with the iconic late musician.
“It’s comforting to me now, when I get in the car. I’ll just go, ‘What do I want to listen to?’ Usually, I just end up popping on Elvis.”
He added: “I’ve never loved somebody I’ve never met more than Elvis.”
Butler was a former Nickelodeon and MTV star before he began to firmly make his mark on the acting world. He has since appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood and also performed in a stage performance of The Iceman Cometh.
It is claimed the actor blew Luhrmann away in the auditions, who added that Butler “had a hint of the swagger, a touch of the sound,” that reminded him of Presley.
Alongside his appearance in Elvis, Butler has reportedly been cast to play Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the upcoming film, Dune: Part Two.
