Acting coach to the stars Howard Fine said Austin Butler’s role as “Elvis” could have easily been a career-ender if he hadn’t been a perfect fit for the role.
Fine discussed the art of acting in his book, “Fine on Acting: A Vision of the Craft,” and spoke about how dramatically different the 2022 film could have been, had it not been perfectly cast.
“It was a minefield of danger,” Fine told People. “If he had done an imitation of Elvis, that would’ve been career-ending rather than award-winning, and he could have just gone to Vegas and tried to get a job there as an impersonator.”
Fine explained the delicate line between acting and impersonating someone.
“The entire key when playing somebody who’s actually lived is not to impersonate them. It’s to find a connection to them so that you find, ultimately, where it lives inside you,” Fine said.
He went on to explain some of his professional advice, and expand on the content in his book, which was re-released on Nov. 21.
“One of the greatest misconceptions about acting is the idea of creating a character,” he told People. “How many characters do all of us play in the course of a day? Many. And they’re all parts of us.”
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Fine explained how he coached Butler to embody the role of Elvis for the film. He said he spent hours researching Elvis’ life, alongside Butler. He then encouraged the young actor to tap into his personal life experiences and associate them with the role. (RELATED: Austin Butler Relives Horrifying Health Scare He Suffered Immediately After Filming ‘Elvis’)
Fine said Butler continued to speak as Elvis, even after filming ending, the outlet noted.
Fine has coached some of the biggest names in Hollywood over the course of his 30-year-career, including Kerry Washington, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, and Salma Hayek, according to People.