Actors On Actors: Janelle Monáe & Austin Butler
In their “Actors on Actors” conversation, Austin Butler and Janelle Monáe talk about the similarities and differences in performing music as opposed to acting. Austin explains how he prepared three years for the role of Elvis Presley, while Janelle describes how her role in Glass Onion challenged her to explore outside her normal range. Both actors also delve into the emotional maturity and recovery they experienced over the past few years.
“Watching you go into this character and have the stamina and have the presence, spirit, and essence of what I grew up looking around at Elvis was amazing. But bringing it and making it your own is no small thing.”
Janelle starts the conversation by asking Austin what it was like being a kid living close to Disneyland. Austin states he was homeschooled by his mother for a couple of years during elementary school. He remembers how his mother would often suggest skipping lessons to go to Disneyland even after the end of his homeschooling. Austin believes he had a fun mom. When asked about her childhood, Janelle talked about how she was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. She loved her home city but confesses to Austin how she has never been to Disneyland, nor has she ever gone on a vacation as a child. Janelle’s parents were part of the working class, blue-collar individuals who did everything they could to ensure Janelle and her sister had a good life. Janelle is part of a big family with her grandmother having twelve kids who eventually had forty-nine children among them.
Janelle commends Austin on a phenomenal job playing Elvis Presley in the film Elvis. As an actor-musician who has toured for many years, she was blown away by Austin’s accomplishment. She view’s his performance as an attempt to try adventurous things and make the character his own, something Janelle claims to know. She also observed how Austin tapped into a kid-like spirit and effectively portrayed Elvis Presley as a teenager up until his passing. Regarding the different periods of Elvis Presley’s life, Austin mentions one of the challenges he faced while shooting the movie was the timeline being filmed out of sequence. He explains how the process of locking in each moment in time and knowing where he is spiritually and emotionally was difficult and made more tasking with jumping between depictions.
Continuing the discussion of the depictions of Elvis Presley in parts of his life, Janelle brings up how Elvis physically changes throughout the film. She is curious if any prosthetics were involved or if there was a strict regimen of gaining and losing weight. Austin reveals that when work started on Elvis, the director initially planned for the film to be shot in sequence to provide breaks and time for preparation. However, COVID-19 happened, and the whole schedule got turned upside down. Austin and the crew worked with multiple methods to subtly age the character. Austin credits his movement coach Polly Bennett for working his role inside out and preparing him to adjust to how the body would change over time.
“I think with film and with acting, you do get an opportunity to do that first take, second take, and third take. Maybe even watch it and get a little bit more control, but when you’re live, that’s it. It’s like we’re going to create something that can never recreate again.”
Austin reveals that the recreation of Elvis Presley’s comeback tour of 1968 was filmed on the second day of the shooting. Before that, Austin had a year and a half to prepare. When the moment of truth arrived, he felt terror before going on stage and worrying about whether he would be good enough. At the time, he was also concerned his career might be on the line if he didn’t perform well early into shooting. He remembered how, coincidentally, Elvis also felt afraid and had a sense of his career being at risk at the beginning of the comeback tour. It was at that moment Austin realized his fear wasn’t the enemy, it was the energy he could harness to delve into the mind of Elvis and live in the moment of what Elvis felt. As he channeled this energy and became more confident, Austin remembered feeling a connection with the audience and receiving unspoken rapport.
Curious about Janelle’s concerts, Austin asks if she feels connected with her audience while on stage and feeds off their energy. Janelle states that in live performances, there is no redoing, and everything around her is utilized as fuel for herself. Singing live requires rising to the occasion, and Janelle admits to surprise even herself in many of those moments. Austin claims that Janelle has amazed him not only with her music but also with her talent for acting. He has been a fan of hers since he watched Janelle play her roles in Moonlight and Hidden Figures. Watching her latest work on Glass Onion further cemented Janelle as an incredible performer and is moved by what she continues to do in the acting space.
When asked about the experience of filming Glass Onion, Janelle remarks on the beauty of Greece, Daniel Craig being a dream to work with due to his gentlemanly personality, and remembers the talent of director Rian Johnson. Regarding Rian, Janelle claims she will immediately agree to work with him again if a future opportunity ever arises. She was a fan of Rian’s work before meeting, having watched his past films like Looper, Brick, and Knives Out. Janelle was excited about Knives Out. To her, the film could be watched by the whole family and not leave the theater with a heavy feeling. She loves the “whodunnit” genre because it feels like the audience is solving the mystery alongside the characters.
“Whenever I’m thinking about characters, I start with the energy. It’s like, ‘what is the spirit of the character?’ ‘What is the essence of this character?’ I think about how I can make sure I honor that.”
It was a dream come true for Janelle when receiving the script for Glass Onion. Upon reading it, she viewed her character as the perfect role she has been looking for because it allowed her to play two different people. She expressed how thankful she was for everything done up until now and how that experience prepared her to take on what she views as her biggest acting role yet. Janella recalls how there were a lot to manage and energies to channel for her character. She even kept a notebook for each portrayal she played in Glass Onion to better keep track of and separate her respective roles. Janelle’s top priority was honoring the spirit and essence of her characters.
When developing the persona for her character, Janelle always tries to portray it in a way that audiences would want to root for her. Her role in Glass Onion allowed her to play with accents and provided a stage to showcase her acting range. She notes that scenes within the film frequently shifted from action, to comedy, to dramatic moments. She summarizes her time spent on Glass Onion as her biggest challenge in the best possible way.
Wanting to know Austin’s view on the director he worked with, Janelle asks him what Baz Luhrmann was like on set. His first response was declaring that Baz was fantastic. Austin believes Baz is the closest thing to a jazz musician he’s ever seen in a director. He explains that for him, most directors are more like classical composers where everything is thought out while attempting to hit the notes perfectly. With Baz, it’s more of a jazz vibe because Baz does so much homework alongside all the work his teams do. It wasn’t uncommon for Baz to rewrite an entire scene that many actors spent time preparing. This was terrifying for Austin because he had to accept that he might not necessarily do the things he was planning to do. He relates the experience to how Janelle describes performing live where everything is spontaneous and focuses on being in the present.
“I just told myself, ‘I’ll never limit myself just because you think I look like whatever.’ I can feel the spirit in any genre, so it was my mission to make my voice do things in the rock arena, in punk, and keeping that soulfulness.”
Janelle recalls that Austin has a background in music and asks him what he knows about the industry. Austin talks about how he enjoys playing the piano but admits to never singing professionally due to his shy nature. Surprised by this, Janelle follows up by inquiring about the singing within Elvis. She wanted to know if Austin recorded all the singing, or if somebody else was assigned to sing and record the vocals. Austin confesses that he was almost put on the sidelines until he caved in and sang to an audience for the first time. As a result, all the depictions of young Elvis Presley in the film were in Austin’s voice. He explains that over the course of a two-year preparation, Austin had five different vocal coaches. It was an interesting experience for Austin to take the work he did with his coaches into singing because the inflections he gained were eye-opening.
Austin acknowledges how fascinated he is witnessing somebody finding their voice while they sing. He has learned that there are many ways to sing one song. For him, it was being precise and meticulous about Elvis’s voice. Austin asks Janelle how she found hers and if her history of growing up in a Baptist church influenced her movement or how she songs. Janelle describes her experience in a Baptist family became a part of her singer DNA. Apparently, both sides of her family were filling with musicians and singers, with even her 94-year-old grandmother still singing and playing the organ at church. Janelle’s family and church were Seventh-day Adventist Baptists. She remembers that whenever she was in church, she would always burst into song even when the pastor was speaking. Funnier still, the music she sang was typically R&B.
Growing up, musical artist Lauryn Hill was someone Janelle looked up to, but she knew she couldn’t be Lauryn Hill. There is only one Lauryn Hill which means there is only one Janelle Monáe. Janelle felt she had to put in significant effort into finding her voice. She knew all famous musicians were in touch with themselves and had a blueprint of who they were, so she figured she needed to find her “you-print.” Her journey also brought her to studying musical theater. Actress Judy Garland was one of Janelle’s favorites in the medium, partly due to growing up in Kansas and witnessing Judy portray Dorothy, a fictional Kansas girl. While studying musical theater, Janelle promised to never limit herself because of her looks or from how others think about her appearance. No matter what she did, Janelle always tried to keep her Baptist background at the front of her mind.
“There were so many artists that Elvis was inspired by, borrowed from, or took from as some people say. I’m happy that that was addressed because I don’t think he would’ve been as successful or had really found his own voice had he not seen those [Black] gospel singers in church and seeing jazz musicians playing; those founders of rock and roll.”
Returning the discussion to the film Elvis, Janelle remarks about the thing she loved the most from the movie was how it made clear that Elvis Presley was inspired by many Black artists. Many Black musicians like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Mama Thornton, Mahalia Jackson, and Arthur Crudup were depicted and showed intimate interaction to Elvis Presley’s stardom. Janelle then asks Austin what he learned from the Black artists portrayed in Elvis and if he saw Black music in a new, unique way. The first thing that comes to Austin’s mind is a trip with director Baz Luhrmann to Nashville, Tennessee. Upon arrival, they got to record at the RCA record label, and it was the first time Austin was ever in a recording studio. Afterward, the two drove out to a little church where they were joined by 30 Black gospel singers—possibly the best gospel singers in Austin’s opinion. Austin recalls something special spoken by the congregation leader Shannon, who said: “We’re not just making a song right now. We’re not just making a movie. Somebody very close to me is dying right now, and I’ve got something to wail about, so let’s wail together!”
Austin initially thought only one song was recorded, with a possibility of going back to record another. Instead, the choir moved seamlessly from one gospel to another, and sang for eight hours straight. Austin felt so fortunate to be there and warmly welcomed. He explains how he felt chills going down his body, tears were pouring down his face, and he was constantly stomping his feet and clapping his hands. Visiting the church was a pivotal moment for Austin in comprehending what music means and what movements mean in music. He now feels he can’t help but move when singing or listening to songs because music makes his spirit feel moved. If he was on set and didn’t have that feeling, Austin knew he was off and too focused on the external. He admits that before completing Elvis, there were only two occasions where he danced in public. The first was his visit to the small church in Nashville, and the other was at one of Janelle’s concerts. Austin claims seeing her performance that day compelled him to dance, surprising his friends.
“From even my albums to the movies I’m a part of, it’s like I have to love the story first. I have to understand the importance of it in my life and whatever community or folks we’re speaking to.”
Austin asks Janelle if there are any principles she has taken from directors she’s worked with that can be applied across acting and the arts. Janelle notes that numerous people have asked her a similar question because she acknowledges she has a unique opportunity to pursue an acting and music career. In her mind, Janelle can’t remember a time in her life where she wasn’t doing both. She views the joint endeavors as storytelling and asking herself what stories are today. As an actor, Janelle sometimes decides to take a role to be challenged. She believes she is at a point in her life where she wants to work with people she has a pleasurable experience with. A great story and music are okay, but Janelle focuses on who the actors and directors are.
Wanting to know more about Austin’s journey in becoming Elvis Presley, Janelle asks how he pushed out the distracting noise when preparing for the role. Austin reveals that during the filming of Elvis, he didn’t see his family for three years. Most time was spent doing prep work with Baz in New York, Nashville, and other locations. There was even a time when Austin spent months in Australia without contact with anyone. Whenever Austin did speak during those three years, it usually involved the film, and his voice was always in character. He was committed to subconsciously mastering Elvis Presley’s tone of voice.
Janelle then brings up Austin’s history as a child actor who has been given many roles on the Disney Channel and other networks. She asks him what he took from the experience of being a child actor. Austin explains that when an actor starts young, they’re a kid among adults and the adults teach them how to hit the mark and memorize the lines. There’s a sort of perfectionist way actors go about as a kid where they want to be good at what they do to be acknowledged. Going into acting as an adult from a child star is a process of unlearning the perceived necessity of perfectionism. A decisive moment in Austin’s career as an actor was performing on the Broadway play The Iceman Cometh with actor Denzel Washington. Austin recalls how Denzel would never perform the same way twice.
Some nights, Austin saw Denzel do the most brilliant thing he ever saw. Denzel knew what he did was great, and so did the audience. Many would expect Denzel to do it again the next night, but he always did something different. Austin claimed Denzel never rested on his laurels, nor did Denzel believe there was a perfect way to do a scene. All the professionalism of knowing cameras, lenses, lighting, etc. is helpful, but getting away from a perfectionist outlook is, in Austin’s opinion, truly beneficial.
“During the pandemic, I think it did things to people in different ways. One of the things I had an opportunity to do, a blessing to be able to do, was this retrospective on me and how I had been showing up in the world as an actor, as a performer, as an entertainer, and as a human…what things were not serving me anymore and what things I wanted to shed. One of these things was the need to be perfect.”
Continuing to praise Janelle for her talent, Austin asks if she holds herself to a high standard. For her, it’s not so much holding herself in high regard as it is holding herself to unlearn perfectionism and be authentic at the moment. Janelle believes that if an actor becomes married to an outcome, they don’t allow organic, adaptable views to emerge. She correlates her past obsession with perfection to feelings of abandonment and rejection. On the one hand, Janelle wants to take her craft seriously. On the other, taking herself too seriously leads to painful thoughts of doubt, and worrying about what others think pervades her mind. Once Janelle had healed away from those notions, she claims that the person she is now is not concerned with losing fans if they are unable to reconcile her changes. She credits her emotional support coach for significantly aiding her mental health recovery.
The talk on emotional recovery reminds Austin of a TED Talk he listened to where the topic was identifying the difference between shame and guilt. What he took from the video was seeing guilt as a realization of him doing a bad thing, and shame is being a bad person. This change in mindset was applied to Austin’s acting towards substituting negative thoughts like “I’m a bad actor” with “my technique was off.”
The conversation ends with Janelle expressing her curiosity about the tattoos on Austin’s arms. He reveals that while they aren’t real, they are part of the portrayal/costume he does in a film he’s currently working on with actor Tom Hardy. They say their thanks to each other and are appreciative of having the chance to learn more about one another.