There are a lot of actors that have played Elvis Presley, but there are only a few that have really played him well. The list for this is as long as a person’s arm and then some. If you decided to count every Elvis impersonator that had ever put on the dark wig, the flashy outfits, and those customary dark sunglasses then the list would never stop. Elvis Presley was and still in many ways is an icon in American culture and if you happen to say that he was just so-so to a diehard fan the best bet is to have a ready argument for your claim or just walk away. The actors that have played this legend are many, but as I said in the opening line only a few have ever managed to capture the essence of the man in their acts.
Let’s take a look and see what we can see.
5. Tyler Hilton-Walk the Line
Hilton’s part in this movie was understandably small because it was the story of Johnny Cash and the others were just window dressing. But there is a pivotal scene that’s been argued far and wide since it’s deemed very incorrect. It comes when John first starts popping pills, because Elvis takes them so it should be okay. The pills they took were commonly used so that they could get from gig to gig without having to take any extra time, but eventually they did become a problem.
4. Michael St. Gerard-Elvis (TV Show)
This is not Gerard’s only stint playing Elvis but it is the longest since he didn’t have much of a role in Great Balls of Fire on account of the fact that the movie was about Jerry Lee Lewis. Gerard though has the look that simply defines the way that a lot of people wanted to look when impersonating Elvis. He had the baby face and the classic good looks that made him a shoe-in for the part.
3. Bruce Campbell-Bubba Ho-Tep
So admittedly Campbell plays an impersonator in the film but he still pulls off the look so well that I had to add this one in. A lot of Elvis impersonators just don’t have the right kind of build, face shape, or even the swagger to pull off the look. That’s not the point since it’s about having fun and paying homage to the king, but in a movie it pays to at least get close to the look.
2. Michael Shannon-Elvis & Nixon
Neither man really looks like the person they’re playing, but this is actually quite alright since it’s more of a parody of the picture that was taken of the real Elvis and Nixon many years ago. Shannon is doing his best to get the look down, but he definitely gets the eccentricities in there, even if they’re not one hundred percent correct, they’re still amusing.
1. Kurt Russell-Elvis
Kurt Russell really threw himself into this role. He had the voice just about down, the movements, and the swagger that he needed to be the king. This wasn’t the only time he portrayed Elvis either since he would take up the role for a brief period of time in 3000 Miles to Graceland opposite Kevin Costner.
It takes a lot to fill Elvis’ shoes, but some actors do a pretty good job.
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The choices of Michael Shannon and Tyler Hilton may be convenient because they appeared in two movies which may be known to the general public, but in my opinion, they are amongst the fifteen worst. In mu humble opinion, and in this order, it’s Kurt Russell, in Elvis, followed by Michael St Gerard in the Elvis TV series, Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-Tep,, Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Elvis (Golden Globes winner, best actor TV mini series) and Robert Patrick in Lonely Street. Honorable mention to David Keath in Heartbreak Hotel.
Seriously this list is a complete waste of time considering the fact that you completely ignored Jonathan Rhys Meyers who oh I don’t know only WON the Golden Globe for Best actor for his portrayal of Elvis. Did you even research or did you just grab 5 guys off of the top of your head? Shannon looked and sounded nothing like Elvis. Tyler wasn’t great either and as you stated how do you list him when he was in the film for less than 4 mins?? Lazy man.
I didn’t ignore him really, I didn’t know he played the role. The actors you see on the list are those that I was aware of among a few others and I happened to think that they were worth noting. Sorry to upset you.
I’ll tell you what Heehuh, write me an article that’s based on your opinion about this, send it to me, and, oh wait, that’s the trick, it’s opinion, just like everything else, so I’d have the right to differ just as you do. I get it, we don’t agree, but until I see that list all I see is a keyboard cowboy that has to complain instead of enter a nice and calm discussion. That’s something I’d be more than happy to get into. Till then, later.
Wake,
Speaking of opinions, here’s my (unasked for) two cents: I understand that this person came off as unnecessarily grating, and yes, you’d be totally justified for being annoyed at his disrespectful behavior, especially considering he could have made the same exact point without once insulting you. However given that this is your article and you aren’t just some random person jumping to the author’s defense you come off as unprofessional even though he’s clearly the asshat in this scenario.
To be clear, you’re 100% in the right here, but when you react like this rather than being the bigger (and therefore cooler) person you end up looking as bad, if not worse than he does because you’re sinking to his level even after you’ve won. Again, like you said, we have the right to differ, it just seems a shame for you to lose the high ground you already had either by not responding or offering a more subtle/cutting reply that would make him look even more like the rude, unnecessarily crass idiot he clearly is while at the same time making you look even better by contrast.
Just a suggestion, no offense intended. If it makes any difference I liked your list, thanks for sharing! :)
You are quite right, and thankfully I’ve grown as a writer and a person in the past year and fully agree with your point. I’ll admit had you said this back then I might have still been fuming but as of now I see your point and definitely agree with your assessment. Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it very much. Take care, and by all means keep reading, haha.
We’ve all got our opinions, not all of us have to agree on them. I honestly didn’t know about Johnathan Rhys Meyers though, I might have to check that one out.