'Elvis' actor Austin Butler didn't see his family for 3 years while making the film and used the musician's voice 'the whole time'

• Austin Butler, who picked up a Golden Globe nomination on Monday, prepared extensively for "Elvis."
• The actor said in an interview that he didn't see his family for nearly three years.

Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's stylistic biopic "Elvis" has received critical acclaim, but to achieve his outstanding portrayal of the King of Rock and Roll, the actor made some significant concessions.

During Butler's Variety "Actors on Actors" conversation with "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" star Janelle Monáe, the actor admitted his personal life took a back seat to his preparations for filming the role of a lifetime.

"During 'Elvis,' I didn't see my family for about three years," Butler said. "I was prepping with Baz, and then I went to Australia. I had months where I wouldn't talk to anybody. And when I did, the only thing I was ever thinking about was Elvis."

Butler, who mastered Presley's unique baritone voice, found himself speaking like Presley even during his downtime.

"I was speaking in his voice the whole time," Butler said. "So then I'd talk to my sister, and she's gotta listen to that."

Monáe, for her part, praised Butler's method acting approach.

"You had to say, 'This is who I am,'" Monae said. "'This is what it takes.'"

Butler has previously discussed the extreme lengths he undertook to prepare for the role, which also included intense workshopping and lengthy improvisation sessions. Once production wrapped, Butler was hospitalized, diagnosed with a virus that simulated appendicitis, and bedridden for a week, the actor told British GQ.

"The next day I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to the hospital," Butler said. "My body just started shutting down the day after I finished 'Elvis.'"

Butler's extreme sacrifices have paid off in the form of several awards, including the breakthrough performance award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards and best actor award from the Hollywood Critics Association. The actor also picked up a Golden Globe nomination on Monday for actor in a motion picture (drama).