Cailee Spaeny Says Priscilla Presley’s Reaction to Her Portrayal Is ‘Best Review I Could Get’ (Exclusive)

Cailee Spaeny says there’s no praise like Priscilla Presley’s.

The actress portraying Presley in the film directed by Sofia Coppola Priscillashared with PEOPLE at Monday night’s Gotham Awards that she received great feedback about her performance in the film from the ex-wife of the King of Rock and Roll herself.

“[Priscilla’s] reaction and how she said she watches her life watching the movie. That’s it. That’s the best review I could get,” Spaeny, 25, recalls watching Priscilla alongside Presley, 78, at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year.

However, when it comes to assessing her own performance – for which she was nominated in the Outstanding Lead Performance category at Monday’s ceremony in New York – the actress notes that she is a much tougher critic.

“There are always things I would change,” she says. “I know, after every movie I never got to the point where I said, ‘That was perfect.’ There are always things I would change about my performances when I watch them.”

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Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla Presley, Sofia Coppola and Jacob Elordi on the red carpet for Priscilla at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, 2023.

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

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She says she hadn’t seen the film before the festival, and when she finally did, she was “finger-grabbing the whole time” and even thinks she “closed her eyes for about 50% of it.”

“But I’m not a very good person to judge such things,” Spaeny admits. “I don’t think anyone would be if you’re staring at a screen for that long.”

“But it was really amazing to hear the response from everyone,” she adds. “To see how young girls have connected with it, or girls of all generations. So it was special to go on this trip and just celebrate it.”

Spaeny also praises his co-star Jacob Elordi, who portrays Elvis Presley in the film, calling him a “generous actor” who “poured his whole heart and soul” into his performance.

“He was a good sport,” she tells PEOPLE. “It was just important for us to feel comfortable with each other before we shot this movie, because we only shot for 30 days, so it was important that we have that connection and that trust.”

Jacob Elordi and Cailee Spaeny inside Priscilla (2023).

Philippe Le Sourd/A24

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Spaeny previously spoke about the importance of making sure Presley’s story was told in behind-the-scenes footage released by A24 in October, saying, “It’s an incredible responsibility to make sure Priscilla feels seen.”

The film covers the couple’s first meeting in 1959 and their subsequent relationship and marriage, which lasted until their separation and divorce in 1972. It is based on Presley’s 1985 memoir. Elvis and me.

“Cailee has really transformed; she would look so different. She’d be 15 to 28 years old and pregnant in a day,” Coppola, 52, said of Spaeny’s portrayal of Presley over the roughly 13-year period depicted in the film, which Coppola also wrote.

“This is the most challenging role I have ever played in my career; it’s a version of the story we’ve never seen before,” Spaeny added.

Priscilla it’s currently in theaters.

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Source: HIS Education