The time has finally come, Austin Butler is getting rid of his Elvis Presley accent after a ton of backlash — but it might be harder than he expected!

On Friday’s episode of The Graham Norton Show, the actor revealed his lingering Tennessee cadence is on its way out, but that his voice has been “damaged” from speaking like the legendary rock ‘n roll star for so long! What?? The 31-year-old Oscar nominee expressed:

“I am getting rid of the accent, but I have probably damaged my vocal cords with all that singing. One song took 40 takes.”

Hold on, his voice is permanently damaged?!

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Forty takes is a lot, but it’s not as much as a singer might perform during a tour — we mean, some of the biggest musicians perform for weeks with very little breaks, which is a ton of vocal strain. Surely Austin’s vocal coach could have prepared him to protect his voice while filming? It seems like an obvious precaution to take!

As we’ve been following, Austin made waves at the Golden Globes when he appeared to be speaking like his character still. Chatter online was so loud, the press asked him about his voice backstage after he took home the award for Best Male Actor. He tried to defend himself, saying:

“I don’t think I sound like him still, but I guess I must, because I hear it all the time. I often liken it to when somebody lives in another country for a long time. I had three years where that was my only focus, so I’m sure there’s pieces of him in my DNA and I will always be linked to him.”

Austin Butler responds to those that say they still hear traces of Elvis’ accent in his speaking voice:

“I had three years where that was my only focus, so I’m sure there’s pieces of him in my DNA and I’ll always be linked.” pic.twitter.com/qj3jCDzktS

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 11, 2023

Later that month, he also told the Los Angeles Times that “certain muscular habits” must “pop up” unconsciously after spending so much time embodying the musician. That said, he didn’t think he was still slipping into his character’s voice, adding:

“If I was trying to sound like Elvis, I would sound very different right now. I think it’s sort of amusing to me how much people want to focus on this one thing.”

Even his vocal coach Irene Bartlett told ABC’s Gold Coast:

“What you saw in that Golden Globes speech, that’s him. It’s genuine, it’s not put on.”

And yet, she also said:

“Because of COVID shutdowns, he was working on it all the time and it’s difficult to switch off something you’ve spent so much focus time on.”

Hah! Even she couldn’t lie anymore! But, hey, we kinda get it. The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood hunk was prepping for this iconic role for YEARS pretty much in complete isolation, so it’s not hard to see how it got so engrained into him.

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Also, he’s been promoting and celebrating the success of the film so much lately, maybe he just wants to hold onto the Elvis persona as long as possible? Addressing the critical acclaim of the Baz Luhrmann film, he added on The Graham Norton Show:

“It has been a whirlwind, and it’s amazing because when you are making a film you never really know how it will be received. With this one there were so many ways it could go wrong so to be received in the way it has means the world to me.”

But, wait!

What does this vocal cord damage mean for his voice moving forward?? Well, we have good news!

On Thursday, Dave Bautista opened up to USA Today about what it’s been like to star alongside the acclaimed performer in the upcoming Dune sequel, Dune 2. The Guardians of the Galaxy star had the kindest things to say, calling the Carrie Diaries alum “just the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet.” When pressed about what the Cali native’s voice sounds like in the film — a concern of many fans after seeing Austin carry on the Elvis accent so long in his everyday life — he dished:

“I don’t know who this guy was, but it’s not Austin Butler. It’s not Elvis. His voice is different, his look is different. Everything about his demeanor is terrifying.”

Hmm. Sounds like maybe he’s taken on a completely new voice yet again?? We’re intrigued!! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Are you sad to see the Elvis accent go? Let us know (below)!

[Image via MEGA/WENN & Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube]