‘Priscilla’ Stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi Speak “Disabling the Mythology” of the Presleys

Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi did their homework when it got here to portraying some of the iconic {couples} in current historical past, Priscilla and Elvis Presley, in Sofia Coppola‘s Priscilla.

The celebs of the A24 biopic hit the carpet for the New York Movie Competition’s centerpiece movie on Friday, the place they mentioned their course of for reworking into these characters for the venture based mostly on Priscilla Presley‘s biography Elvis and Me. The story follows Priscilla’s life, beginning when she met Elvis in Germany in 1959 till she left him in 1972.

Earlier than manufacturing started, Spaeny, who performs the title character, sat down with Priscilla and requested her all of the questions she had concerning the position to be able to guarantee she portrayed her correctly.

“It was so intimidating to tackle this position and figuring out that Priscilla was gonna see it,” Spaeny advised The Hollywood Reporter. “I simply wished her to really feel protected and really feel like she might acknowledge herself on this story and this time in her life, which was kind of wonderful but additionally tough in some ways.”

Spaeny, who received one of the best actress award at Venice Movie Competition, recalled the surreal feeling of watching the movie for the primary time with Priscilla sitting proper beside her.

“That was completely wild,” she mentioned. “However to get the standing ovation at Venice after which see her visibly moved by watching it after which listening to her that she felt like she watched her life by means of me and that she was proud of my efficiency was actually the whole lot.”

Priscilla filmed out of order for 30 days on a $13 million funds. Throughout a Q&A after the screening —which Coppola missed to be able to spend time along with her mom who’s sick — Spaeny defined that her hair, make-up and costume served as an anchor for her to know what time in Priscilla’s life they had been filming.

“I’d be pregnant within the morning, after which after lunch, I’m 14 years previous,” she mentioned. “I might lean on anybody [on set] and return to my notes and keep in mind: ‘OK I’ve bought the beehive on, that is what she’s going by means of now.’”

Whereas Spaeny might flip to the real-life individual she was portraying for recommendation and questions, Jacob Elordi, who performs the King of Rock and Roll himself, didn’t have that chance, so he needed to depend on analysis. Contemplating he performs one of many largest musicians of all time, he had plenty of materials to go off of. He defined to THR that he learn up as a lot as he might on the time interval and the person himself, turning to movies, music and interviews that tracked the artist’s entire life.

The Euphoria star additionally discovered it useful to have a look at Elvis not as a historic icon however as a traditional individual. “The form of very first thing for me was simply form of disabling the mythology and making an attempt to play him as a human being and an individual, who’s given a sure set of circumstances,” he mentioned after the screening. “So, the entire thing on a regular basis was simply making an attempt to stroll the tightrope between being arguably some of the well-known individuals on the planet and a human being on the identical time and being trustworthy with the love.”

Priscilla comes on the heels of final yr’s Oscar-winning Elvis, Baz Luhrmann’s biopic on the musical legend, starring Austin Butler because the King. Elvis was solely the newest in a protracted string of initiatives about Elvis Presley, however Coppola’s biopic about Priscilla is arguably the largest tackle her life. Elvis and Me was beforehand dropped at the small display in a 1988 TV miniseries.

Josette Halpert, who performs Becky, one among Elvis’ secretaries at Graceland, felt prefer it was about time for a movie specializing in Priscilla, as an alternative of 1 that sees her as Elvis’ spouse.

“We hear plenty of Elvis’ facet,” she advised THR. “He’s an iconic human being, however I additionally assume Sofia does such an unbelievable job of telling tales about unbelievable ladies, and it’s time for Priscilla. It truly is Priscilla’s second. I imply, it’s at all times her second.”

Costume designer Stacey Battat, a frequent collaborator of Coppola, echoed Halpert’s sentiment, explaining that the director is nice at expressing the interior lives of girls.

“I feel individuals considered Priscilla as like, ‘Oh my god. She received the lottery. She’s like Cinderella.’ However possibly it wasn’t precisely like Cinderella,” Battat advised THR. “Possibly there was another side to it that I feel Sofia is the individual to uncover.”

Priscilla hits theaters on Nov. 3.