Jacob Elordi is the latest actor to take on the role of Elvis Presley, as he stars in Sofia Coppola’s upcoming film Priscilla, but the 26-year-old actor had an unconventional introduction to the King of Rock n’ Roll.
“[Elvis] wasn’t on my list of people to play,” Elordi shared of snagging the role during an appearance this week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “It was bit terrifying”
When Fallon asked if Elordi has been a lifelong Elvis fan, the Euphoria star replied with a laugh, “No, the most I knew of Elvis was in Lilo and Stitch.” In the popular Disney film, both Lilo and Stitch impersonate Elvis throughout their adventures.
However, Coppola helped Elordi get into the mind of the late icon. “I watched this clip of him, when he came back from the army in Germany, and I read the lines for like 15 minutes and then shot two takes, not thinking that it would go anywhere,” he recalled of the audition process. “But she liked it, you know? I mean, it’s Sofia Coppola.”
The film, starring Cailee Spaeny as Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley, shows the darker side of the couple’s storied romance. “It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love,” Priscilla herself stated during the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5. “Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could.”
Priscilla arrives in theaters on Nov. 3. Watch Elordi’s interview below.
