Actors Austin Butler and Vanessa Hudgens were seen walking around Los Angeles Monday, just hours after he was cast as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic. Butler beat out some stiff competition for the part, including One Direction singer Harry Styles. The new movie will co-star Tom Hanks as Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
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On Monday, TMZ published photos of the couple walking around Los Angeles in the afternoon. Butler showed off his slick black hair, worn in a style that makes him look exactly like the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Hudgens, 30, and Butler, 27, have been dating since at least 2011. According to The Daily Mail, the two met on the set of High School Musical, when Hudgens was still dating Zac Efron. Elle reports they made their red carpet debut as a couple in February 2012 at the Journey 2: Mysterious Island premiere.
In a December 2018 interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Second Act star called Butler her “rock” and said his support of her career means “everything” to her.”
“I mean, my date nights usually don’t consist of as many cameras and more clothes. Not freezing normally,” Hudgens said of their date nights. “He’s a wonderful supporter, though. I’m happy to have him here… I think it’s so important to have a person who is your rock.”
Butler told ET in 2015 that it was important to “put that other person first” to make a relationship work.
“If you’re constantly looking for ways that you can make them happy, and they’re constantly looking for ways that they can make you happy, then you kind of lift each other up as much as possible and you can’t go wrong,” Butler said.
After news broke that Butler would play Presley, Hudgens celebrated the casting on Isntagram. “I AMMMM OVERRRR THE F– MOOOOOOOOONNNNN. I CANT WAIT [heart-eyes emojis] SO PROUD OF MY HONEYYYYY!!!” she wrote.
Director Luhrmann cast Butler over Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Styles. Luhrmann also wrote the film with Craig Pierce, and it covers Presley’s relationship with Parker.
“I knew I couldn’t make this film if the casting wasn’t absolutely right, and we searched thoroughly for an actor with the ability to evoke the singular natural movement and vocal qualities of this peerless star, but also the inner vulnerability of the artist,” Luhrmann said in a statement on Butler’s casting. “Throughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent. I had heard about Austin Butler from his stand-out role opposite Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops, I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”
Butler is best known for his role on The CW’s The Carrie Diaries and just starred in The Dead Don’t Die. He will next be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which opens on July 26.
Photo credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
