Austin Butler Finally Gives Ex Vanessa Hudgens Credit for Elvis Inspiration

Austin Butler has nothing however burning gratitude for his ex Vanessa Hudgens.

The Elvis star lastly thanked his former girlfriend—who he dated from 2011 to 2020—for the encouragement she gave him to play Elvis Presley, which not too long ago landed him an Oscar nomination for Finest Actor in a Main Position.

“I used to be with my accomplice on the time,” he informed The Los Angeles Instances on Jan. 24, referring to the one who impressed him to pursue the function. When requested if he was, in actual fact, talking about Vanessa, Austin confirmed.

“That is proper,” he stated. “We would been collectively for therefore lengthy and she or he had this form of clairvoyant second and so I actually, I owe her lots for believing in me.”

Initially, Austin referred to Vanessa as an unnamed “pal” who thought he was excellent for the function, telling The Hollywood Reporter on Jan. 10 that the thought occurred to her a month earlier than he realized Baz Luhrmann was making an Elvis biopic.

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“I used to be going to have a look at Christmas lights with a pal,” he recalled. “And there was an Elvis Christmas music on the radio and I used to be singing alongside and my pal appeared over at me and goes, ‘You have to play Elvis.’ I stated, ‘Oh, that is such a protracted shot.'”

The “pal,” as Austin referred to as her, doubled down on the thought, telling him a pair weeks later that he wanted to “determine how one can get the rights to a script” after she heard him carry out on a piano. Afterward, Austin stated, his agent referred to as with information that an Elvis film was within the works.

The story stirred buzz on-line, with followers discovering an identical narrative the Excessive College Musical alum shared in August 2019, one month after she gushed on social media that she was “OVERRRR THE F–KING MOOOOOOOOONNNNN” about Austin touchdown the function of the King of Rock N’ Roll.

“Final December, we have been driving alongside and we have been listening to Christmas music, after which an Elvis Presley Christmas music got here on,” Vanessa shared on Reside with Kelly and Ryan in 2019. “He had simply dyed his hair darkish. He is a pure blonde, blonde and I used to be taking a look at him and he was singing alongside and I used to be like, ‘Babe, it is advisable play Elvis.'”

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She continued, “Then in January, he was sitting on the piano. And he is enjoying and he is singing and I am like, ‘I do not understand how, however it is advisable determine how one can play Elvis. Like, I do not understand how we get rights or what we do, however it is advisable play him.'”

Since their breakup, Vanessa hasn’t spoken out on Austin’s now Golden Globe-winning efficiency as Elvis, although she did take a second to acknowledge a submit that poked enjoyable at his Elvis-like accent that has mesmerized and puzzled followers alike.

As she merely commented, “Crying.”

He is now courting mannequin Kaia Gerber and Vanessa is with baseball participant Cole Tucker.

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