CNN —
Even when Austin Butler accepted a Golden Globe for his dynamic performance as Elvis Presley in the film of the same name, he just couldn’t resist the king’s Mississippi drawl.
The California-born actor won the award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Motion Picture at Tuesday’s ceremony for his portrayal of Presley from adolescence to his untimely death at age 42. Butler delivered his speech with the same southern flair he used in “Elvis.” that he couldn’t let go of since filming.
“My boy, my boy!” he said with a smile. “All my words desert me.”
Not that hearing that familiar twang came as a surprise to those following his awards journey. He told ET last year that he even started asking people if he always spoke like Presley.
“If you live with something for two years and you don’t do anything else, I don’t think it’s your fault,” Butler told ET. “It becomes a fiber of your being.”
His obsession with the role is now legendary: He told the Los Angeles Times that his devotion to “Elvis” could be viewed as “unhealthy,” but he willingly surrendered to the late performer and his legacy.
“I could prepare every day and then sit with my own feelings and ask myself what feels right, where is my obsession taking me today?” Butler told the publication last year. “It started to be more about my own relationship with Elvis.”
Back at the Globes, Butler ended his acceptance speech in true fanboy fashion with a nod to the King himself: “You’ve been an icon and a rebel and I love you so much!” Butler crowed and pointed to the sky. “You will be remembered and I will never forget it!”