The ‘King of Rock and Roll’ wasn’t just a legendary singer; he was an actor, too. While Elvis Presley’s contributions to the world of cinema weren’t exactly as memorable as his era-defining musical efforts, he did end up working with various acclaimed filmmakers. A few of Presley’s films were genuinely impressive, and even his less memorable efforts were still fun pieces of cinema that provided us with some of his most classic songs, like Jailhouse Rock.
Presley’s foray into acting was partly due to his love of cinema and a genuine desire to appear in Hollywood movies, but it was also down to his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who insisted that it would be a wise career move. If Presley became an actor as well as a rock and roll star, he had more of a chance of sustaining a long-term career. Parker wasn’t sure how long the initial hype around Presley would actually last, so his suggestion for the singer to become an actor was a tactical decision that resulted in a mixed bag of results.
His first film role was in 1956’s Love Me Tender, the same name as the popular song that Presley recorded shortly before the film was released. The movie was a commercial success, but critics weren’t as impressed. Still, it kickstarted Presley’s career in cinema, which largely relied on his success as a musician. He continued to perform songs that were made for his movies, like G.I. Blues, Blue Hawaii, and Viva Las Vegas, helping to heighten his status as an icon even further.
While most of Presley’s movies are predominantly remembered simply because he was starring in them, the singer actually narrowly missed out on a role in a beloved western classic featuring John Wayne. The actor, known for his roles in movies like The Searchers, Rio Bravo, Stagecoach, and Fort Apache, was impressed by Presley when he starred in a series of westerns, including Flaming Star and Frankie and Johnny.
Wayne decided to reach out to Presley and ask if he wanted to star in his upcoming film, True Grit, directed by Henry Hathaway. Wayne offered the singer the role of La Boeuf, who was eventually played by the musician and actor Glen Campbell.
Presley was interested, but it was the domineering Colonel who prevented the deal from taking place. According to Presley’s cousin, Billy Smith,via Memphis Mafia Kid, “Of course, it was always carried through Colonel and at that time when he was asking, Elvis was such a big star. Colonel didn’t want him to play second co-star or second star…with anybody else, so that ruled that out.”
There was no way that Presley would’ve been able to nab a top billing if he wasn’t going to be playing the main role since Wayne was the western genre’s most well-known and profitable actor. The creators of True Grit and the Colonel couldn’t come to an agreement, so Presley never got to star in the Oscar-winning film, which has since become one of the most popular westerns of all time.