With a career spanning six decades, Kurt Russell still remembers his first film role: acting alongside Elvis Presley, a moment etched in his memory.
In an interview with Seth Meyers on his late-night talk show, Russell recounted his early career highlight with the King of Rock and Roll and how he eventually stepped into Presley’s shoes for a titular 1979 movie role.
Meyers surprised the actor with a still from the film It Happened at the World’s Fair, capturing a scene between him and Presley. The 1963 film was Russell’s first acting role.
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“He [Elvis] wanted an excuse to meet this nurse,” Russell said of the plotline. “So he needs to find a way to go in there with something.”
“So he pays this kid [Russell] 50 cents to kick him in the shins. He had a pad on him, and I’m looking at him like ‘I can’t miss that,’ and I did it about ten times. Elvis was like, ‘I think we got it.'”
He continued, “He was 27 years old here, and I played him when I was 27. And you know what I’m realizing now? He’s my dad when he was young.” Russell’s dad, Bing Russell, appeared in numerous western-themed films and in the television series Bonanza.
Russell then recounted a story that further linked his family to the King of Rock and Roll. “This is how cool Elvis was,” he began.
“We are back in Los Angeles shooting, and my dad comes to the set with me. I see Elvis really looking over. He asked me, “Is that your dad? Can I meet him?”
Presley told Russell’s dad, “Mr. Russell, I really love the way you wear your hat in all the cowboy movies you do. If I ever do a cowboy movie, would it be okay if I wore my hat your way?” He concluded, “If you watch Charro, you’ll see Elvis wore his hat that way.”
Kurt Russell played Elvis Presley in an acclaimed TV movie biopic direc by John Carpenter. Presley’s singing voice was provided by country star Ronnie McDowell.
The actor was nominated for a 1979 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for the role. He would go on to provide the voice of the king in the 1994 feature film Forrest Gump.
