Austin Butler could sound like Elvis Presley for the rest of his life.
Speaking with Australia’s ABC Gold Coast, voice coach Irene Bartlett shared her take on the Golden Globe-winning “Elvis” star’s accent, which many have accused of being fake.
READ MORE: Austin Butler Remembers Elvis Presley During Golden Globe Acceptance Speech: ‘You Were An Icon’
“What you saw in that Golden Globes speech, that’s him. It’s genuine, it’s not put on,” she said. “I feel sorry people are saying that, you know, it’s still acting [but] he’s actually taken [the voice of Presley] on board.”
She added that the Elvis accent may well “be there forever.”
Bartlett also explained how and why Butler’s accent may have shifted to take on some of the traits of the iconic rock star he portrayed.
“Because of COVID shutdowns, he was working on it all the time and it’s difficult to switch off something you’ve spent so much focus [and] time on,” she said.
READ MORE: Austin Butler Is Getting Trolled By Fans Over His ‘Fake’ Elvis Voice At The Golden Globes
She also shared insight into how her process worked with Butler during the making of the Bad Luhrmann hit.
“Basically what I look for is what their natural singing voice is doing,” Bartlett explained. “I strip away all the effects someone is putting on, and I go, ‘What does this natural voice sound like?’ And what is working and what needs help in terms of enhancement, in terms of support, flexibility, stamina, all those things.”
After his Golden Globes acceptance speech, Butler came in for a lot of trolling on social media about still sounding like Elvis.
“I don’t think I sound like [Presley] still, but I guess I must because I hear it a lot,” Butler told reporters after his win. “I had three years where that was my only focus. So, I’m sure there’s pieces of him in my DNA and I’ll always be linked.”
