Already A King? The Real Reason Why Harry Styles Was Snubbed For 'Elvis' Role
It's hard to imagine a world where Harry Styles isn't perfect — for a role.
Baz Luhrmann, the director of the upcoming biopic Elvis, recently revealed the Grammy Award winning vocalist, 28, was gunning to fill the iconic shoes of Elvis Presley. However, the part ultimately went to Austin Butler instead of Styles for one very good reason.
“Harry is a really talented actor,” the famed filmmaker said during an interview on the “Fitzy & Wippa” podcast on Monday, June 6. “I would work on something with him … but the real issue with Harry is, he’s Harry Styles. He’s already an icon."
Luhrmann explained how badly the "Daydreaming" singer wanted to play the legendary rocker, but Styles has his own legacy to uphold. “Harry and I came to a place, genuinely I mean, he was just desperate to put the suit on and explore," the director stated. "He’s such a great spirit and I have nothing but great things to say about Harry Styles.”
The Moulin Rouge filmmaker also added how Butler, 30, was “born to play” Presley and that there are striking similarities between them. “You know, we can talk about it now, he like loses his mom at the same age that Elvis did,” he said.
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As OK! previously reported, another king of rock and roll Mick Jagger recently addressed the similarities between himself and Styles. “I mean, I used to wear a lot more eye make-up than him. Come on, I was much more androgynous. He doesn’t have a voice like mine or move on stage like me," the Rolling Stones frontman said.
"He just has a superficial resemblance to my younger self which is fine — he can’t help that," Jagger noted. However, the "Gimme Shelter" artist revealed the two have an "easy relationship."
“I was looking at a photograph of him and Bianca [Jagger] the other day and he was wearing this amazing yellow suit," Jagger said of the former One Direction member. "I’m a massive fan and I like him a lot. I don’t know what he thinks of me."
“He’s got it going on. I can see the influence. But I don’t say anything to him, I just tell him he looks nice. I like him," he concluded. "He’s very decent."