Burning love! Austin Butler is making headlines for his performance in Elvis, but there’s another breakout star in the movie: Olivia DeJonge, who plays Priscilla Presley.

The Australia native, 24, appears as the late singer’s wife, to whom he was married from 1967 to 1973. DeJonge has plenty of film and TV roles under her belt, but she was still nervous at the prospect of playing a real person who was very famous — and is still living.

“Honestly, I remember feeling very intimidated when I got the role, but if you strip it down, she was 21 or 22,” the Better Watch Out actress told British Vogue in an interview published on Wednesday, June 22. “I’ve been in love before, so I can understand what that’s like. It was really just about playing somebody supportive and full of life.”

Elvis died in August 1977 at age 42, but Priscilla, now 77, has expressed her admiration for both Butler and DeJonge’s performances in the film. “It is a true story told brilliantly and creatively that only Baz, in his unique artistic way, could have delivered,” the Dallas alum tweeted in April. “Austin Butler, who played Elvis is outstanding. Halfway through the film, Jerry [Schilling] and I looked at each other and said ‘WOW!!! Bravo to him.’ He knew he had big shoes to fill. He was extremely nervous playing this part. I can only imagine.”

In an Instagram post one month later, she revealed that her and Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, “loved” the film when she saw it. “I relived every moment in this film,” Priscilla wrote. “It took me a few days to overcome the emotions as it did with Lisa. Beautifully done Baz [Luhrmann], Tom [Hanks], Austin and Olivia.”

DeJonge, for her part, was thrilled to work with Luhrmann, 59, a fellow Australian and director of one of her favorite movies: the 1996 adaptation of Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. “One of the best ever made,” the Visit actress told The AU Review on Wednesday. “I actually studied that film in 9th grade. A funny little full circle. But yeah, I wrote an essay on it. I should find that essay and show it to him. He can grade it out of 10.”

The Staircase star also relished the opportunity to work with Romeo + Juliet‘s costume designer, Catherine Martin, who is married to Luhrmann and frequently collaborates with him on his films. “Catherine Martin, Baz’s wife and partner, is incredible,” DeJonge gushed to British Vogue of the Oscar winner, 57. “I mean, stepping into these costumes, that wig and make-up every day, it really made the rest of the job quite easy, because it was so incredibly immersive.”

Keep scrolling for five things to know about DeJonge.


1. Where Is Olivia From?
DeJonge was born in Melbourne, which is the capital of the Australian state Victoria. She and her family later moved to Perth, the capital of Western Australia.  George Pimentel/Shutterstock
2. What Else Has She Been In?
The Stray Dolls star made her big-screen debut in 2014's The Sisterhood of Night after appearing in several short films. One year later, she landed a lead role in M. Night Shyamalan's thriller The Visit. Horror fans may also recognize her from the 2016 Christmas horror movie Better Watch Out. Her TV credits include Netflix's teen series The Society and HBO Max's 2022 adaptation of The Staircase.  Sean O'Reilly/Storm Vision/Kobal/Shutterstock
3. How Did She Land the Role of Priscilla?
"Honestly, I just put down a self-tape," DeJonge told The AU Review, adding that she auditioned with two scenes from the film. "And it kind of just happened. I set up a self-tape and a couple months later I was sitting at dinner with my agents, and I asked them about the role. I asked, 'What happened with Baz?' I wanted to know how we could make it happen, and they didn’t know and thought it had just gone away. That night I got a text message saying I got the role." Manuele Mangiarotti/ipa-agency/Shutterstock
4. How Does She Feel About the Real Elvis?
In an interview with French Vogue, DeJonge revealed that her favorite Elvis tunes are "Bossa Nova Baby" and "Blue Moon."  Scott Garfitt/Shutterstock
5. Did She Meet the Real Priscilla?
DeJonge didn't meeting Priscilla until after filming had already wrapped, but the New York native was happy with her performance. “I’m so happy that she was sensitive and that she was caring and that she was a little strong with him as well," Priscilla told Good Morning America in June. "I thought she did a really, really nice job. I was pleasantly surprised." Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock