Jacob Elordi's Preparation For Priscilla's Elvis Wasn't What You'd Expect It To Be

Summary:

• Priscilla is Sofia Coppola’s film, telling the story of the life of Priscilla Presley.
• Jacob Elordi gained a lot of recognition for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the film.
• The actor revealed that part of his daily preparation for the role was consuming a pound of burned bacon every day.

There are many known cases of actors going the extra mile to prepare for some of the most important roles. While some of these efforts are praised by the general public, others seem to only receive sarcastic comments. To this day, many people remember the reports of Jared Leto 's questionable behavior in preparation for his role as The Joker.

It is one thing to portray a fictional character and another to take on the role of a universally beloved real-life person and portray them in a biopic. The already controversial genre often gets a bad rap because of movies that don't do justice to the stories and turn them into just another action or drama to endure.

Still, the actors do their best to embody the characters they play. Austin Butler, who portrayed Elvis Presley in 2022's Elvis, went so far as to cut himself off from his entire family for years. He was so busy with the production that he didn't speak to people for months.

As extreme as these measures may seem, considering the controversial opinions on the movie, the actor's work was actually quite well received. For his portrayal of Elvis Presley, Butler won a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

The reaction to Jacob Elordi's portrayal of Elvis Presley in the even more controversial but critically and commercially acclaimed Priscilla in 2023 was even more overwhelmingly positive. The preparations, however, were much less extreme. At least the parts that Elordi made public in the interviews.

What Did Jacob Elordi Do For Priscilla?

Both stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, as well as director Sofia Coppola, appeared on Entertainment Weekly's Around the Table YouTube feature to discuss the making of Priscilla in detail. In fact, it was Coppola who first mentioned the bacon, recalling that it was a guideline she received from Priscilla Presley herself.

To get deep into the character, Elordi decided to take on the challenge and ate so much bacon that he actually gained some weight. To make it even more difficult, he had to eat it just the way the King of Rock and Roll liked it, really burnt:

“I averaged like a pound of bacon in a day. It’s not that noticeable because it wasn’t for quite long, but I was the thickest I’ve ever been,” the actor said.

Perhaps that was not all that went into preparing for the role, as the actor did not know much about the 50s star. However, this may be the key to his ability to portray Elvis Presley without the pressure of all the myths and legends surrounding a celebrity of such caliber.

Also, since the movie focused more on the development of Priscilla, who was put in a rather difficult situation at a very young age, it was Elordi's co-star Cailee Spaeny who had to take on much more pressure. Advised by Priscilla Presley herself, they managed to capture the dynamic and translate it perfectly to the screen for us to enjoy.

Priscilla premiered in U.S. theaters on October 27, 2023 and expanded to more theaters on November 3. If you want to see Priscilla and make up your own mind about the story, you can still get tickets at your local theater.

Source: Entertainment Weekly YouTube