Manifesting his success. Austin Butler spoke his Oscar nomination into existence — and his former costar and good friend Ashley Tisdale has the receipts to prove it.
The actress, 37, took to social media on Tuesday, January 24, to share a clip from the High School Musical spinoff film Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure. (Tisdale and Butler, 31, played love interests in the 2011 romantic comedy.)
“There’s a buzz. Then it gets into a festival. Then it gets distribution. Then I’m signing a studio deal and then I’m getting an Oscar,” the California native said in the video while playing his character Peyton.
Tisdale, who discovered she is Butler’s cousin late last year, captioned the Instagram Story, writing, “Sharpay knows how to pick them!”
Earlier that day, Butler scored a Best Actor nod for his role as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann‘s biopic about the King of Rock and Roll. He is up against Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Brendan Fraser for The Whale, Paul Mescal for Aftersun and Bill Nighy for Living.
The Carrie Diaries alum noted that the accomplishment felt “like a dream” to him. “[I]t wasn’t something that I thought that since I was a kid that I’d play Elvis or anything,” he told Good Morning America on Tuesday. “It was only in the months before I got the audition that a couple things came up with my partner at the time saying, you know, ‘You should play Elvis.’ And so it was kind of this moment of all the stars aligning when I heard that Baz was making a movie. Now we’re here. It’s so surreal.”
Butler also shared what he thought Lisa Marie Presley would say about his success and the film’s seven other nominations. “I know she’s smiling down right now,” he said about the late singer, who died shortly after attending the Golden Globes with him earlier this month.
Us Weekly confirmed on January 12 that the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley was hospitalized after going into cardiac arrest. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, paramedics were able to help the songwriter regain a pulse and took her to a nearby hospital where she passed away at age 54.
Following Lisa Marie’s death, Butler issued a heartfelt statement, saying, “My heart is completely shattered for Riley, Finley, Harper and Priscilla at the tragic and unexpected loss of Lisa Marie. I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to be near her bright light and will forever cherish the quiet moments we shared. Her warmth, her love and her authenticity will always be remembered.”
Lisa Marie is survived by her three daughters: Riley Keough, whom she shared with first husband Danny Keough, and twins Harper and Finley, whom she welcomed with ex-husband Michael Lockwood. She was also a mother to son Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide at age 27 in July 2020.
