Harry Styles didn’t get the chance to play the late Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic Elvis because he’s simply too… Harry Styles.
“The real issue with Harry is, he’s Harry Styles. He’s already an icon,” Luhrmann told Australia’s Nova FM.
Last month, Styles said he auditioned for the part that eventually went to Austin Butler. “Elvis was probably the first person I knew besides my family when I was a kid,” he said during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. “For that reason, there was something incredibly sacred surrounding him, so I thought I should try to get the part.
“I was very intrigued by it… I feel like if a director feels like I’m not the best person for the role then it’s better for them and it’s better for me. If they think the movie’s going to be better with someone else then I don’t want to do it because I don’t want to be the not-as-good version.”
Luhrmann called Styles “a really talented actor” and insisted he would love to work with him on something.
“Harry and I came to a place, genuinely I mean, he was just desperate to put the suit on and explore,” he said. “He’s such a great spirit and I have nothing but great things to say about Harry Styles.”
Butler, 30, had early roles in series like Hannah Montana, Zoey 101 and Jonas and starred in the Toronto-shot 2011 movie Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure. He was also seen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the made-in-Vancouver series Arrow.
Elvis also stars Tom Hanks as Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley.
“The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker,” reads the official description. “The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.”
Elvis opens June 24.