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“Elvis” star Austin Butler paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley after winning the BAFTA for Best Actor on Sunday night.
“It was a truly unimaginably tragic time, you know, and grief is a long process,” Butler said in the winner’s press room after his win. “And so was my heart and love with [the Presley family] always. I am honored to have been accepted into the family. It’s a bittersweet time.”
Butler also expressed his happiness at being able to portray the legendary singer, a thought that often crossed his mind during filming. “How lucky I was to have this experience,” he said. “The feeling of being on an international stage and looking out and looking down at the jumpsuit I was wearing and realizing that there were certain moments when I felt like what Elvis would have seen during his ’68 special or whatever came closest and I miss it very much. I miss that experience.”
“I don’t miss the terror,” he added. But I felt that elation every day that you feel when you do it. And I miss the people I got to do the film with, they’ve become like family to me. I really miss her a lot.”
When asked what he’s planning next, Butler cited Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 and The Bikeriders, in which he stars alongside Tom Hardy.
“But right now I’m unemployed,” he said. “This is exciting because it means I can go on vacation after March.”
Butler is also nominated for an Oscar, the awards ceremony will take place on March 12th.