‘Priscilla’ Star Cailee Spaeny Almost Passed Out During Film’s Premiere, Felt Insecure of Her Role in the Movie
Sophia Coppola recently took the world by storm with her movie Priscilla, starring Cailee Spaeny, portraying one of the most controversial relationships in pop history. She portrayed the relationship between an underage Priscilla and a considerably older Elvis Presley and traced their relationship since Priscilla was only 14 and Elvis was 24.
Cailee Spaeny did a fabulous job portraying Priscilla and her struggles with Elvis and his troubled mental condition. It is a dark movie that puts forward many themes, from grooming to addiction, from control to abuse. When watching the movie, it is almost impossible to imagine anyone other than Cailee Spaeny bringing the nuances that the role deserves to the silver screen. However, in a recent interview, Spaney admitted to being insecure about her role and almost passing out during the film premiere.
“I thought I was going to pass out:” Priscilla star Cailee Spaeny opens up about her insecurities regarding the movie
In an interview with Goldderby, she said nothing could have prepared her for the premiere of her film at the Venice Film Festival. The bright cameras and the screaming fans had a nerve-wracking effect on her. However, she decided to stay due to the director, Sophia Coppola:
“I wasn’t going to watch the movie actually. I was going to slip out because I’d already made the decision it was too weird. But then I turned to Sofia right before we went in and I said, ‘What do you think I should do?’ And she said, ‘I think this moment is too special for you to miss. I think you should watch it and you should be proud.’ And so, I did.”
Then she found out that she was seated right beside Priscilla and she lost her nerves. She started getting anxious and felt like she was almost going to pass out:
“I had Jacob there as a buffer. But it was still so…I mean, I was white-knuckling it the whole time. I thought I was going to pass out. But then it was very rewarding at the end to have the response that we did from the audience. And then Priscilla turned to me and said she liked my performance. It really couldn’t have gone any better. It was amazing.”
Cailee Spaeny was awarded the Volpi Cup as the Best Actress of the Festival, and there was a seven-minute standing ovation after the film had ended. So it was truly a memorable night for her.
How did Priscilla Presley react to Cailee Spaeny’s portrayal of her in the biopic?
Recently, Cailee Spaeny shared with People at Gotham Awards about her favorite review, and it was from none other than Priscilla herself. According to Spaeny:
“[Priscilla’s] reaction and how she said she watched her life through seeing the movie. That’s it. That’s the best review I could get.”
However, when it came to evaluating her own work, Cailee Spaeny was not merciful at all. While talking about her performance she becomes quite critical of herself and says:
“There’s always things I would change. I know, after every film, I’ve never gotten to the point where I’m like, ‘That was perfect.’ There’s always things I would change about my performances when I watch them.”
However, she also admits that:
“But I’m not a very good person to judge those sorts of things. I don’t think anyone really would be if you’re watching yourself on screen for that long. But it’s been really amazing hearing the response from everyone. Seeing how young girls have connected to it, or girls from all generations. So it’s been special to go on this journey and just get to celebrate it.”
Caille Spaeny showered praises on her co-actor Jacob Elordi, calling him a “generous actor.” Elordi portrays Elvis Presley in the movie.
The digital rental release of Priscilla on platforms such as iTunes and Amazon Video is expected to start in January 2024.
