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Elvis Presley is an icon, so it’s no surprise that his story has been told many times on the big screen. Famous actors like Austin Butler and Kurt Russell have portrayed the “King of Rock and Roll” at various stages of his life in movies. It’s been almost 45 years since Elvis died and his fascinating life and career is still being honored in the entertainment industry. Fans still can’t get enough of the icon’s story all these years later. Below, HollywoodLife has rounded up all the movie stars who have played Elvis in films over the past four decades.
Austin Butler
Austin Butler plays Elvis in Baz Luhrmann‘s 2022 biopic Elvis. Austin won the role in July 2019 over fellow actors like Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Harry Styles. Austin was best known for starring in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Elvis chronicles the singer’s childhood years to when he became a roll and roll superstar, as well as his complicated relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker played by Tom Hanks.
Michael Shannon
Michael Shannon portrayed Elvis in the 2016 comedy-film Elvis & Nixon, directed by Liza Johnson. Kevin Spacey starred as President Richard Nixon. The film explored the 1970 meeting between Elvis and Nixon at the White House where they discussed matters such as the drug culture and the hippie movement.
Jack White
White Stripes guitarist Jack White transformed into Elvis for the 2007 satire film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. The film parodied different biopic films including Walk the Line, which features Elvis. Walk Hard spoofs Elvis, as well as the Beatles who are played by Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Justin Long, and Jason Schwartzman.
Tyler Hilton
One Tree Hill alum Tyler Hilton starred as Elvis in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, which came out in 2005. Joaquin Phoenix played the country legend while Reese Witherspoon played his wife June Carter and won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Bruce Campbell
Evil Dead actor Bruce Campbell took on the role of The King of Rock and Roll in Bubba Ho-Tep, the 2002 comedy horror film directed by Don Coscarelli. In the movie, Bruce’s Elvis is a resident in a nursing home.
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel starred in 1998 movie Finding Graceland asa man claiming to be Elvis, years after allegedly staging his death. Jonathon Schaech, Bridget Fonda, Gretchen Mol, and John Alyward also starred in the film.
Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer portrayed an apparition of Elvis in Quentin Tarantino‘s 1993 romantic crime movie True Romance, which follows a pair of newlyweds (played by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) on the run from the Mafia.
Michael St. Gerard
Michael St. Gerard played Elvis in two movies that came out in 1989. The first was Heart of Dixie, which follows three sorority girls at an Alabama college. He then starred in the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire! with Dennis Quaid. Michael also took on the role in the 1990 TV series Elvis, which aired for ten episodes on ABC.
David Keith
Heartbreak Hotel, the 1988 comedy film directed by Chris Columbus, starred David Keith as Elvis. This fictional version of Elvis is kidnapped by the son of a single mother who is hospitalized in a car accident. The film is set in 1972.
Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell played Elvis in the 1979 TV movie Elvis. Kurt was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his performance. The project came out just two years after Elvis died at 42 years old of a heart attack.
