Featured Image Credit: NBC
Topics: Celebrity, TV And Film, Music
Emily Brown
The speech Austin Butler gave as he accepted his award for Elvis has gone viral following the sudden death of Lisa Marie Presley.
Lisa Marie and her mum, Priscilla Presley, appeared to get emotional as Butler thanked them for their support:
Lisa Marie, the only child of Elvis, was just 54 years old when Priscilla announced the news of her death on Thursday (12 January).
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It was only two days earlier that Lisa Marie and her mother accompanied Butler to the Golden Globes, where he was nominated for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama category.
After dedicating years of his life to the role of Elvis, Butler was given the award and took to the stage to thank director Baz Luhrmann, his co-star Tom Hanks, and the Presley family.
"I want to thank the Presley family," Butler began, saying: "Thank you, guys. Thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, and your home to me."
The camera cut to Lisa Marie and Priscilla as Butler acknowledged their support in the creation of the film, and the mother and daughter responded to his heartfelt words by placing their hands over their hearts.
"Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever," Butler said.
Fans of Butler, Elvis and the biopic have been sharing the actor's speech in the wake of Lisa Marie's death, with many pointing out how poignant the actor's words are now.
"If you haven’t seen Austin Butler thanking Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley two days ago, see that again this is extra special now…RIP Lisa Marie," one Twitter user wrote.
Another commented: "Remembering #LisaMariePresley ....just two days ago as Austin Butler thanks Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley at [the] Golden Globes, that moment is even more powerful today #RIPLisaMarie #riplisamariepresley, thoughts and prayers to family and friends."
Craig Little, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles (LA) County's fire department, said paramedics were called to an address about 30 miles northwest of downtown LA shortly before 10.40am local time on Thursday to a report of a woman in full cardiac arrest.
Priscilla said Lisa Marie was 'rushed to hospital' before her death was announced.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us," the mother said.
"She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known."
Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, who spent time with the family during the making of Elvis, were among those paying tribute to Lisa Marie after her death.
"Lisa Marie was so honest and direct, vulnerable, in a state of anticipation about the movie," the couple wrote in a post on Instagram.
"She spoke so eloquently about her father, what the movie meant to her, that it was a celebration of her dad," they added.