Elvis star, Austin Butler, recalled the late Lisa Marie Presley during his guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The 31-year-old, who recently won a Golden Globe for his outstanding performance as the “King of Rock and Roll,” talked about Presley’s daughter and how he instantly felt a connection with her.
“I first met Lisa when we screened the film at Graceland. I’ve never had an experience where I met somebody and felt an immediate depth of relationship with them. She’s also — she’s a person who didn’t have anything to prove and wouldn’t open up to anybody and she opened up to me. We got so close so fast and it’s just devastating,” says Butler about Lisa Marie Presley who died on Jan. 12 at age 54.
Austin received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor around the same time as Lisa Marie’s death. Feeling ambivalent about the recent events, Butler admits: “It’s weird in moments like this because it’s so bittersweet. I mean, so much great stuff is happening, but I’m just devastated for her family. And for her to not be here celebrating with us, you know.”
Responding to Fallon’s comforting words,”I’m happy she got to see you,” Austin added: “Yeah, I’m happy I got to be with her at the (Golden) Globes, I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life.”
Before her shocking and sudden death, Lisa Marie Presley had attended the ceremony alongside Butler, director Baz Luhrmann, and daughter Riley Keogh. Thanking everyone for coming, she had said:
“I’m so overwhelmed by this film and the effect that it’s had and what Baz has done, what Austin has done. I’m so proud. And I know that my father would also be very proud. So, I want to thank you all for being here and I — I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude, so thank you.”
Watch Austin Butler’s interview with Jimmy Fallon here:
