‘Elvis’ star Austin Butler emotionally recalls how his mother’s death helped him in his acting career

Austin Butler attributes his acting career to the most important person he lost years ago: his mother Lori.

Nearly ten years after his mother died of cancer, Butler, who famously played Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” spoke about how the late matriarch would react to his meteoric career and success.

The Golden Globe-winning actor appeared on “Sunday TODAY” with Willie Geist and discussed his relationship with Lori. Billboard has shared an exclusive clip of the discussion.

The 31-year-old fought back tears as he imagined how proud his mother would have been if she were still alive.

He said:

“She sacrificed so much. She quit her job to drive me to auditions and drive me to acting classes. She’d wait outside and drive all the way back down to Orange County.”

Butler also stated that his mother, Lori, aspired to be an actress. She, on the other hand, never did. Regardless, the actor believes he got his current life for both of them.

Butler continued his journey by discussing Lori’s benevolent personality and how it influenced him. He described his mother as the sweetest person who brightened every room she entered. He then expressed his desire to make her proud and to carry on her memory through him.

Butler’s full interview will air on February 19.

Butler recalled his moments with the late singer-songwriter and shared how they bonded “very, very fast” in a separate interview with People at the 95th annual Oscar nominees luncheon.

He went on, calling her an honest person:

“And all those special moments of just getting to share life with her, I’ll treasure that forever. There was no filter of how she felt. And she opened her heart to me very quickly.”

Lisa Marie Presley, 54, died in January just hours after being admitted to the hospital for a suspected cardiac arrest. She was placed on life support and placed in a medically induced coma.

However, Elvis Presley’s daughter died just hours after being discovered unresponsive.

According to reports, Lisa Marie died of broken heart syndrome after mourning her son’s death for years, leading to her own demise. However, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office reportedly cannot release the official cause of death because toxicology test results are still pending.