Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley Almost Starred in These Iconic Film Roles

It’s no secret that Elvis Presley had aspirations to be an actor. However, his dreams were frequently blocked by his manager Colonel Parker. A notable scene in the recent Elvis film starring Austin Butler highlighted this. It involved the rock star having to turn down a part in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born, mostly due to the advisement of Tom Parker.

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Of course, there were many times in Presley’s acting career when Parker (and sometimes circumstances) got in the way. It’s another one of those great what-if questions for fans of The King. If Tom Parker hadn’t gotten in the way so often of Elvis, what might have been of his movie career trajectory?

By 1958, Elvis had gained recognition for his acting in Love Me Tender, Loving You, and Jailhouse Rock. According to The Express, he was eager to star as John “Joker” Jackson in Sidney Poitier’s The Defiant Ones – a story about two escaped convicts chained together regardless of their race. Despite this opportunity, Parker refused the role which eventually went to Tony Curtis; consequently leading him to be nominated for an Oscar along with the film itself.

Also in 1958, Elvis was initially slated to star in the adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He would have portrayed Brick Pollitt as an alcoholic former high school athlete struggling to reclaim his greatness and pushing back against his wife Maggie “the Cat” (Elizabeth Taylor). Sadly, Colonel Tom Parker allegedly said no and Paul Newman filled the role instead.

Elvis Presley almost went on to star in two other huge musicals

For years, it has been rumored that Elvis was considered for the role of Tony in 1961’s West Side Story. According to Fox News, Parker declined. This was due to his belief that a film about street gangs would not be good for Presley’s reputation. The mind boggles at the prospect of Elvis starring in another iconic musical.

In 1969, Elvis was up for a part that might have elevated his status as a professional actor. He was reportedly asked to play Joe Buck. The character was a naive Texas hustler trying to make it in New York through United Artists. Yet his manager Colonel Parker rejected the role due to its seedy connotations without even alerting Elvis. This opportunity likely hurt more than any other for him as the film became an award-winning success and Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman earned best actor nominations for their roles.

In the 70s, Elvis was considered for, and in some cases, coveted roles that went to other actors. Although Elvis was considered for the leading part in the 1971 musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gene Wilder (just two years older than Elvis) ultimately won out. It’s tough to imagine him in a role that Wilder is so perfect for. Still, it’s another example of a musical part that might have cemented his legacy in film.

According to NPR, Elvis also wanted to be in The Godfather. He was a fan of the Mario Puzo novel and lobbied producers for the role of Tom Hagen. Reportedly, he managed a screen test but the part went to Robert Duvall.