Jacob Elordi says he only knew about Elvis from “Lilo & Stitch” before starring in “Priscilla”
Jacob Elordi has revealed that everything he knew about the King of Rock and Roll prior to playing him in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla actually came from someone extra cute and fluffy.
"The most I knew of Elvis [Presley] was in Lilo & Stitch," Elordi confessed to Jimmy Fallon on Monday's episode of The Tonight Show. "Which is a lot!"
He's not wrong. After all, Lilo slowly converts her alien pal Stitch into a full-fledged Elvis fan over the course of the 2002 animated film, teaching him how to become a "model citizen" like the singer and even encouraging him to play ukulele while wearing a Presley-inspired wig in one scene.
The film also features several of Presley's greatest hits, including "Burnin' Love" (performed by Wynonna Judd), "Heartbreak Hotel," "Stuck on You," "Suspicious Minds," "Hound Dog," and "Devil in Disguise."
But while Stitch had no qualms about donning one of Presley's quintessential sparkling jumpsuits, Elordi wasn't as confident when it came time for his audition.
"Sofia had sent me these sides that said Elvis and I kinda just was like, 'There's no chance that this is happening,'" he recalled. "I watched this clip of him when he came back from the Army in Germany and read the lines for like 15 minutes and then shot two takes not thinking it would go anywhere."
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images; Walt Disney/Courtesy Everett Collection Jacob Elordi and Stitch from 'Lilo & Stitch'
As it turns out, Coppola liked what she saw and Elordi soon found himself starring opposite Cailee Spaeny in the biopic. Despite his initial reservations, Elordi called his experience making the film "pure bliss."
"The whole time I was trying to take it like I was making Blue Valentine or something," he explained, referencing Derek Cianfrance's 2012 film. "A straight-up relationship drama, without Elvis or Priscilla, for Sofia Coppola. That was the goal."
Priscilla opens in limited theaters on Oct. 27. Listen to Elordi discuss his connection to Lilo & Stitch in the clip above.
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