Last month, Austin Butler won Best Actor in a Drama at the Golden Globes for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the Baz Luhrmann biopic. The King’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, and her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, watched as the actor expressed his love for them in his acceptance speech. However, just two days later, Elvis’s only child died at age 54 after suffering two cardiac arrests. She adored the 31-year-old as her father and now he could go to Oscars glory after a surprise win at the BAFTAs last night.
The Whale’s Brendan Fraser and The Banshees of Inisherin’s Colin Farrell were the bookmakers’ favorites to win the Best Actor award, but Butler edged them out in a stunning victory.
The surprised Elvis star said: “Wow, this is really extraordinary. I thank you all very much. I thank you, BAFTA, for this tremendous honor. To my fellow nominees, I am in awe of you. I am very grateful for all these moments that we have been able to spend together. Brendan [Fraser] You are there, I love you. Man, this is amazing. I’m really trying to take it all in and really be present. You know, I have so many people I want to thank…”
According to Variety, Butler admitted: “It’s been a really unimaginably tragic time, you know, and grieving is a long process. So my heart and my love were with [the Presley family] always. I am honored to have been welcomed into the family. It’s a bittersweet moment.”
The star’s odds of winning the Best Actor Oscar have now been cut to 10-3, besting Farrell at 38-5. However, the favorite for the coveted gong remains firmly Fraser for The Whale on 19-20.
Lisa Marie joked before her death that she would eat her foot if Butler didn’t win the Oscar for Elvis with less than a month to go until the winner was announced on March 12.
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