Elvis Actor Austin Butler Has Strong Feelings About Peanut Butter And Jelly
Method acting is a popular approach that Hollywood stars take to better embody the character they're playing. The technique often involves a number of sacrifices, including extreme weight loss or weight gain, but has also led to a number of stand-out silver screen performances, with one of the most recent being Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis Presley in the 2022 biopic "Elvis." In an interview with Variety, the actor explained that he didn't see his family for three years while preparing for his part as the King of Rock and Roll, and went several months without talking to anybody at all. "And when I did, the only thing I was ever thinking about was Elvis," he said.
If you've heard Butler speak at any point in the last year, you know his dedication played off — the former Disney star channeled Elvis so deeply that he's been imitating the iconic singer's voice long past the Oscar-nominated film's theatrical release date in June 2022. And while the voice is seemingly natural for the actor now, Entertainment Weekly reports that it actually took Butler creating "an archive of how [Elvis] said every word and every diphthong, and the way that he used musicality in his voice."
Fortunately, Butler didn't have to go that far to understand every single aspect of the music icon's life and personality. He already shared at least one thing in common with The King before taking the role: a love for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
This is how Austin Butler makes his PB&Js
Austin Butler spent years studying Elvis Presley, but he didn't need to go Method to understand The King's affinity for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. During his recent appearance on "Hot Ones," the Oscar nominee explained to host Sean Evans that his late mother would make the beloved comfort meal for him every day for lunch as a child. "I was the only kid in the elementary school who got this letter that allowed me to ... walk home and eat lunch with my mom, and she'd have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich waiting for me," he explained.
Butler's mother sadly passed away from cancer in 2014, but the actor looks back on the memories they made over PB&Js every time he indulges in the nostalgic handheld and even revealed how he makes the sammie with Evans. A self-declared "smooth peanut butter guy," the celeb opts to spread a generous layer on both slices of bread rather than just one in order to "lock in the jam." Speaking of jam, Butler's personal preference is for the grape variety, which he channeled his inner Bob Ross to spread across his PB-coated bread.
The actor finishes his sammie there, making it slightly different than Elvis' favorite version which also included a heaping pile of fried bacon. However, it still received a thumbs-up from Evans. "It's one of the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I've ever had in my life," he said.