When Jacob Elordi was asked to step into the legendary shoes of Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola's upcoming film Priscilla, he was familiar with the King of Rock 'n Roll… but not quite in the way you might think.
It turns out that two Disney animated icons were responsible for the young Elordi's Elvis education. "The most I knew of Elvis Presley was in Lilo & Stitch," the Australian actor told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. "Which is a lot!" Though it sounds funny at first, it actually tracks: Lilo & Stitch is full of Elvis references, including a handful of Elvis songs, and Stitch even dresses up like the late performer at one point. If you were a kid when the movie came out — as most of Gen Z was — it makes a lot of sense that this would be your entry point into Presley's life and musical legacy.
While speaking to Fallon, Jacob Elordi told the late night host that Elvis was not on his list of dream roles, and he was a little iffy about the audition in general; he really wasn't sure it would be the right fit. "Sofia had sent me these sides that said Elvis and I kinda just was like, 'There's no chance that this is happening,'" the Euphoria star explained. "I watched this clip of him when he came back from the Army in Germany and read the lines for like 15 minutes and then shot two takes not thinking it would go anywhere."
Clearly, those Lilo & Stitch movie marathons must have worked, because Elordi was cast as the King alongside Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley. The movie, which hits theaters on November 3, is already earning rave reviews from critics. If Elordi picks up any acting awards for his portrayal of the singer, let's hope he thanks Stitch in his acceptance speech.
