Elvis Presley was a great on-stage artist, but the late legend could have even killed it onscreen. Priscilla, Presley’s wife, recently recalled the one role that the Jailhouse Rock artist wanted to desperately play but stepped back because of one important person.
Barbra Streisand had initially offered Elvis Presley the role of her onscreen love interest for the 1976 movie A Star Is Born. However, the A Little Less Conversation artist’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had talked him out of the film.
While the role eventually went to Kris Kristofferson, Priscilla recently opened up to PEOPLE about her late husband’s emotions attached to the role.
“Colonel talked him out of that saying, ‘Oh, it’s not going to be good. She’s going to be in charge, not you. Her movie, not yours,’” the Burning Love artist’s wife stated.
She further went on to add, “ Elvis regretted that because he felt he could have played that part.”
For those unaware, Elvis Presley was locked into a series of movie contracts spanning years by his manager, following the artist’s return from the Army back in 1960.
Elvis Presley’s longtime friend Jerry Schilling recalled how frustrated the artist had become, as Presley had thrown a script across the room saying he was not going to do that movie.
Talking about the relationship between Presley and the Don’t Be Cruel artist’s manager, Schilling stated that they both loved each other immensely, “but Elvis outgrew the Colonel.”
Per the rock icon’s wife, 79, Presley wanted to be in great movies and not “stupid” ones, adding that Girls! Girls! Girls! was not his taste at all.
She further went on to recall that Parker couldn’t grasp what Elvis Presley wanted to do exactly, which eventually became tough for both her and Jerry as she even stated, “You just had to keep quiet.”
Talking about Elvis’s favorite artists, Schilling recalled two big names, James Dean as well as the legendary Godfather of the Hollywood film industry, Marlon Brando.
Further talking, Schilling stated that following the death of Daen in 1995, Parker had approached producer Hal Wallis for Elvis to be in 1958’s King Creole.
When Hal then went on to the director Michael Curtiz, he was not convinced at first; however, after having a meal with Elvis Presley, the director fell in love with the Can’t Help Falling in Love artist and did the project with him.
You can watch the complicated relationship of Elvis Presley with his manager Parker in the latest Netflix documentary Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley, streaming now.
