Several actors have portrayed Elvis Presley on the big screen over the years, including Jacob Elordi in Priscilla, and after watching the movie, many wonder if the star is actually singing in the project or if someone else provided his singing voice. The 2023 biographical drama film, directed, written, and produced by Sofia Coppola, is based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir Elvis and Me. Whereas many Elvis biopics are told from the King of Rock and Roll’s point of view, Coppola’s movie tells Priscilla’s side of the story, with the real-life ex-wife of Elvis serving as an executive producer on the project.
Elordi’s Elvis wasn’t the focus of Priscilla, so several aspects important to his character that are typically shown in biographical films were missing in the 2023 drama. However, that doesn’t mean that Elvis wasn’t heard singing at all over the course of the movie, and one particular scene in Priscilla features a recording of Elvis singing. The only question that remains is whether it was Elordi behind the voice or if another performer had to step in to record the song.
Jacob Elordi Did Sing As Elvis Presley In Priscilla
One scene in Priscilla depicts Elvis and Priscilla listening to some of the singer’s demo records in his home office. But when Elvis asks for her opinion on the song, and she gives honest criticism, he gets angry and throws a chair at the wall next to Priscilla’s head. Of course, the scene intends to shed light on the volatile relationship between Elvis and Priscilla. However, the sequence also previews Elordi’s impersonation of the famous performer’s singing voice because, yes, that is Elordi singing in the 2023 biopic. During an interview with Vanity Fair, Elordi explained:
“I’m pretty lucky to kind of be in [Elvis’] register anyway. But I think, for me, it was trying to invent what he would sound like behind closed doors, because everyone has a performing voice and a speaking voice.”
Elvis had a very distinct voice, which, combined with his skills onstage and catchy tunes, turned him into one of the most iconic and celebrated musical artists in history. So, trying to emulate the King of Rock and Roll’s voice would be daunting for anyone, but Elordi seemingly did it with ease. As a result, many praised Elordi for his performance as Elvis in Priscilla, even though the actor technically couldn’t sing any of Elvis’ actual songs.
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Why Priscilla Couldn’t Use Elvis Presley’s Real Songs
Unfortunately, Sofia Coppola couldn’t include Elvis Presley’s songs in Priscilla due to branding and rights to his music. The director asked Elvis Presley Enterprises if she could use his music in her 2023 biographical drama film, but the entity ultimately turned her down. Consequently, Coppola had to get creative when crafting the Priscilla soundtrack, including figuring out how to incorporate Jacob Elordi’s singing without having access to Elvis’ discography.
Priscilla
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Based on the memoir written by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon, Priscilla is a biography-drama that follows the titular woman through the journey that was her and Elvis Presley’s relationship. From the moment they met at a party through their marriage, Priscilla takes viewers through the eyes of the lovers through the highs and lows of their relationship.
- Director
- Sofia Coppola
- Release Date
- October 1, 2023
- Writers
- Sofia Coppola , Priscilla Presley
- Cast
- Cailee Spaeny , Jacob Elordi , Dagmara Dominczyk
- Runtime
- 110 Minutes
