Austin Butler reveals director Baz Luhrmann ‘heckled’ him and made him CRY while filming Elvis

Austin Butler reveals director Baz Luhrmann ‘heckled’ him and made him CRY while filming Elvis: ‘I went home in tears that night’

Austin Butler has made a startling confession about working with visionary director Baz Luhrmann on the hit musical biopic Elvis.

The American actor, 30, said Luhrmann, 59, ‘heckled’ him and made him cry while recording some of Elvis Presley’s songs for the film.

But Butler clarified it was to help him ‘get as close to performing as possible’.

Austin Butler (pictured in London ) has made a startling confession about working with visionary director Baz Luhrmann on the hit musical biopic Elvis 

‘He had all the executives and everybody from RCA [the Nashville recording studio], who were back in the offices, he brought them into the studio and he goes, “I want you all to sit facing Austin…” and he told them to heckle me,’ Butler told Vman. 

‘When we were filming this moment when Elvis first goes on stage and he’s getting heckled by the audience, I knew what that felt like,’ he explained.

‘I went home in tears that night. I really did.’ 

The American actor, 30, said 59-year-old Luhrmann (pictured in London on May 21) 'heckled' him and made him cry while recording some of Elvis Presley's songs for the film

The American actor, 30, said 59-year-old Luhrmann (pictured in London on May 21) ‘heckled’ him and made him cry while recording some of Elvis Presley’s songs for the film 

But Butler said Leonardo DiCaprio, who worked with Luhrmann on Romeo + Juliet and The Great Gatsby, warned him the Australian filmmaker would ‘push’ him on set. 

‘Leo told me, “Baz is going to constantly keep you off balance, and it’s going to pull things out of you that you never knew you had inside you,”‘ he told Entertainment Weekly.

‘That’s exactly the experience that I had.’ 

Butler said Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured in 2020), who worked with Luhrmann on Romeo + Juliet and The Great Gatsby, warned him the Australian filmmaker would 'push' him on set

Butler said Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured in 2020), who worked with Luhrmann on Romeo + Juliet and The Great Gatsby, warned him the Australian filmmaker would ‘push’ him on set 

'Leo told me, "Baz is going to constantly keep you off balance, and it's going to pull things out of you that you never knew you had inside you,"' he told Entertainment Weekly. (Luhrmann and Butler are pictured in Hollywood on June 21)

‘Leo told me, “Baz is going to constantly keep you off balance, and it’s going to pull things out of you that you never knew you had inside you,”‘ he told Entertainment Weekly. (Luhrmann and Butler are pictured in Hollywood on June 21)

Elvis chronicles the life and career of the late King of Rock and Roll, from his early days as a child growing up in Mississippi to his ascent to stardom and his complex relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker.

Butler has generated Oscar buzz for his portrayal of Presley in the film. 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Luhrmann’s representatives for comment. 

Elvis chronicles the life and career of the late King of Rock and Roll, from his early days as a child growing up in Mississippi to his ascent to stardom and his complex relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker. Butler has generated Oscar buzz for his portrayal of Presley

Elvis chronicles the life and career of the late King of Rock and Roll, from his early days as a child growing up in Mississippi to his ascent to stardom and his complex relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker. Butler has generated Oscar buzz for his portrayal of Presley

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