Golden Globes 2023: Best Actor winner Austin Butler’s Elvis voice confuses fans

Austin Butler accepts the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama award for "Elvis" onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Photo / Getty Images

The 80th Golden Globes is in full swing and one of the biggest awards of the night has gone to a worthy actor in Austin Butler for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.

Butler, dressed in a demure tuxedo and his hair back from Presley black to blonde, took to the stage at the Beverly Hills Hotel and gave special thanks to his director and to Elvis: “You were an icon and a rebel and I love you so much.”

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 10: 80th Annual GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS -- Pictured: Austin Butler accepts the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama award for "Elvis" onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. -- (Photo by Rich Polk/NBC via Getty Images)

He also thanked his mother who he lost to cancer when he was 23, the same age as Elvis when his mother, Gladys, died.

“I want to thank my mum who I know is smiling down right now. Mama, I love you so much.”

But it wasn’t so much what he said as it was how he sounded when he said it that’s sparked confusion among viewers.

Austin Butler accepts his #GoldenGlobes  Award in the 'Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama' Category for his performance in 'ELVIS'. pic.twitter.com/YoBm9h9aSw

— Austin Butler News (@AButlerNews) January 11, 2023

Employing the same husky drawl from his award-winning role, fans have been left asking if Butler is still “doing Elvis?”

Austin Butler has one more chance to shut the Elvis voice off I swear to god #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/DP0p8bmIJi

— Gianni Raisins 🎄 (@BGaytion) January 11, 2023

Austin Butler still speaking in that weird Elvis voice or #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/0kzIZ2Atkp

— Real Housewives Heaven (@RHWHeaven) January 11, 2023

Why is Austin Butler still doing the Elvis voice #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/Uu0b16Trst

— Adam Smith (@AdamJSmithGA) January 11, 2023

The Austin Butler voice change situation is both absolutely mind boggling and hilarious to me. #GoldenGlobes

— Charles O'Keefe (@CharlesAOKeefe) January 11, 2023

Butler’s award sees him join a long list of Hollywood heavyweights including Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCarprio, Daniel Day Lewis, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson.

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis was a huge commercial success grossing US $287.3 million (NZ $450 million).

Austin Butler as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann's biopic. Photo / Warner Bros