From legendary performances to surprising modern interpretations, many actors have stepped into the blue suede shoes of Elvis Presley over the years. From Austin Butler’s acclaimed portrayal to Jacob Elordi’s fresh take on the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, each actor brought something unique to one of music’s most iconic figures. But which performance truly captured the spirit of Elvis? Take a look back at the stars who have portrayed the King on screen—and tell us: who do you think did it best? 👑🎸
Introduction:
Elvis Presley‘s legacy lives on through various films and shows.
Years after making his acting debut alongside the real-life Elvis in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair, Kurt Russell played the singer in the 1979 TV movie titled Elvis, In 2021, Austin Butler received critical acclaim for his role as Elvis in the Baz Luhrmann biopic of the same name, earning an Oscar nomination.
Two years later, Jacob Elordi stepped into the role in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, which is based on Priscilla Presley‘s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me.
Now, on Feb. 27, 2026, Luhrmann brings Presley back to life, in a sense, by unearthing unseen concert footage from the rock star and syncing it to audio sources in the new concert documentary EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. It also features a never-before-seen 40-minute interview with the late star, who talks about his life story.
As EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert releases in theaters, take a look back at all the actors who have played Elvis in film and on TV.
Elordi revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Coppola sent him scenes to read as Elvis, and he thought “there’s no chance that this is happening.”
He continued, “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.”
“I am just profoundly honored that Baz has invited me on this journey with him,” Butler told Entertainment Tonight about his role. “It’s an extraordinary privilege. And I just feel so blessed to be working with such singular directors like him and Quentin Tarantino.”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in ‘Elvis’
The Irish actor played the King of Rock and Roll in the 2005 CBS miniseries titled Elvis. The show documented the singer’s early years in high school leading up to his rise to fame.
Kurt Russell in ‘Elvis’
Russell has played many iconic figures (including Santa Claus!). But before donning the red suit, he wore a famous white one: Elvis’ legendary Hawaii concert jumpsuit, in the 1979 TV movie titled Elvis, which originally aired on ABC.
Set in 1972, the Chris Columbus film follows the fictional kidnapping of Elvis, played by Keith.
Harvey Keitel in ‘Finding Graceland’
In this 1998 film, Keitel plays a man claiming to be Elvis Presley after he supposedly staged his own death.
Bruce Campbell in ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’
Based on Joe R. Lansdale’s novella of the same name, this 2002 comedy-horror certainly takes a different approach to Elvis’ story. The film follows Campbell as a resident in a nursing home who claims to be Elvis.
Michael Shannon in ‘Elvis & Nixon’
The award-winning actor played Elvis in 2016’s Elvis & Nixon. The film centers around a meeting the singer and President Richard Nixon had at the White House on Dec. 21, 1970.
Val Kilmer in ‘True Romance’
The Quentin Tarantino film mostly follows a couple on the run from the mob, but it does feature a quick appearance from Kilmer as an apparition of Elvis (though he’s credited in the film as “Mentor”).
The 1981 TV movie, which originally aired on NBC, told the story of Elvis’s relationship with a beauty pageant contestant named Linda Thompson, whom he dated and traveled with in the last few years of his life. Johnson starred as Elvis while Stephanie Zimbalist played the aforementioned beauty queen, Linda.
Jack White in ‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’
The 2007 comedy, which parodied biopics such as 2004’s Ray and 2004’s Walk the Line, featured an appearance from White Stripes musician Jack White as Elvis. The film also included several other celebrity cameos, including Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Justin Long, and Jason Schwartzman as the Beatles.
Michael St. Gerard in ‘Elvis’
Gerad has actually played Elvis on multiple occasions. In 1989, he played the singer in two separate movies, Heart of Dixie and Great Balls of Fire!. He was later cast as the “Burning Love” singer in the 1990 TV series Elvis.
Drake Milligan in ‘Sun Records’
The country singer played Elvis in the CMT series Sun Records, which ran for one season in 2017. In addition to Sun Records, Milligan also played Elvis in the 2014 short film Nobody.
