Austin Butler calls filming ‘Elvis’ ‘greatest ride’ of his life despite health struggles

Austin Butler recalled his trip to the emergency room after he wrapped filming for Elvis during his appearance at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards preshow on Sunday, February 26th, 2023.

During an interview with People and Entertainment Tonight, the actor, 31, shared that playing the late King of Rock ’n Roll was “the greatest ride of [his] life,” it also presented some health challenges.

The actor shared that before jumping into a new project, he “had a week of downtime, where [he] actually ended up in the hospital.”

“I didn’t get sick the entire time I filmed [Elvis] but the day I finished, I ended up in the emergency room,” he shared. “So, I spent a week in bed and then I went to this other job.”

Butler previously spoke about the ordeal in a May 2022 interview with British GQ. He revealed that that he woke up “at 4 in the morning with excruciating pain” and being “rushed to hospital.”

“My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis,” he said.

Per People, the 31-year-old actor also lost his voice at one point while performing vocals for the Baz Luhrmann-directed drama, and previously revealed that he was hospitalised and bedridden for a week with a virus that simulates appendicitis.

Butler’s attendance at the SAG Awards comes weeks after he took home the best actor in a drama for his performance as Presley at last month’s Golden Globe Awards, and just a week after he won best actor at the BAFTA Awards on February 19th, 2023.