On Dec. 17, “Elvis” star Austin Butler finally got his chance to host “Saturday Night Live” after his first scheduled appearance was canceled due to COVID. Right from the start, the actor made the night a memorable one by dedicating the episode to his late mother, Lori Butler, during his emotional opening monologue.
Butler began his monologue by pointing out how deep his voice is post-“Elvis” and cracking an “iCarly” joke, but he quickly shifted focus to his mom, whom he credits for his love of acting. “Being silly with her is what broke me out of my shell, and it’s the core of what started me in acting,” a teary Butler said.
“Even though I had this crippling shyness, when I was with her, I’d do anything to make my mom laugh,” he said. “I’d make funny faces and voices. I’d even do this ridiculous Gollum impression.”
He then proceeded to demonstrate his Gollum impression before revealing that he and his mother used to watched “SNL” together every week. Butler continued, “We watched every week. My mom is no longer with us. But I’ve been thinking about her a lot this week, just imagining how proud she’d be that her son who used to not even be able to order food for myself at a restaurant is now standing on this stage. So, tonight, anytime you see me doing a silly voice or making a funny face, that’s for you, Mom.”
Butler wiped tears away as the crowd applauded his touching tribute. In an April interview with Vogue, the 31-year-old revealed that he felt a special connection with Presley due to the impact that losing their mothers had on their lives. “I’d been watching all these documentaries and learned a couple days prior that Elvis’s mom had passed away when he was 23, the same as me,” Butler said. “I thought he probably had nights where he woke up from nightmares like this. So what can I do with that?”
Check out the gallery ahead to see Austin’s touching monologue as well as all of the skits where he made funny faces in honor of his mother.
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