‘Priscilla’ stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi on capturing the essence of Priscilla and Elvis Presley

Sofia Coppola’s dream-like biopic about the queen to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is here.

Priscilla, which opens wide Friday, spans decades to tell Priscilla Presley’s story – everything from her high school days in Germany to the details of her married life at Graceland.

Cailee Spaeny prepared to play Priscilla through several meetings with her; she told ABC Audio it was “such a gift to just to be able to sit in front of” the American icon.

“There’d be moments we’d be talking about her life with Elvis, or sometimes we’d talk about animal activism,” Spaeny said. “Just to get to be in front of the actual woman who’d lived this rich life was really everything. She has so much kindness in her … at the same time, she’s incredibly fierce and protective.”

Jacob Elordi made headlines in October when he said Elvis impersonators are for Vegas, that he wanted to capture the human being under all of Elvis Presley’s glitz and gold. So, who does Elordi think Elvis really was?

“To me, Elvis was a deeply sensitive man who led with his gut and felt everything all the time,” Elordi said.

As for Coppola’s direction, Spaeny had nothing but praise for her choices.

“A lot of the times, you feel directors trying to prove themselves or gain respect in a way that can feel a bit aggressive. And she just doesn’t have any of that,” Spaeny said. “She has a lot of confidence, and she knows what she wants, but she creates a space where everyone feels comfortable to collaborate.”

Elordi agreed, saying Coppola’s Priscilla set was different from other projects he’s worked on.

“It was a sanctuary,” Elordi said. “I think she showed both of us that you don’t need to suffer to make something good.”

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