Sofia Coppola on Writing ‘Priscilla’ From Elvis Presley’s Wife’s Perspective: “I Never Wanted Him To Be a Villain”

Sofia Coppola’s latest film, Priscilla, hit theaters about a year after Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis, but she recently said she wasn’t worried about crossover or saturating the market. That’s because her film wasn’t necessarily about Elvis Presley, but about his wife, Priscilla Presley. Coppola was captivated by Priscilla’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, and wanted to tell the story of Elvis through his wife’s lens.

“Her book is really about her perspective of growing up and their private life,” Coppola told NME. “It’s not about him as a performer. It’s him in private. So I feel like it’s a totally different side of the same story, which I think makes it even more interesting that people have just been thinking about the story. Elvis is fresh in people’s minds, especially for a younger generation. I think it could be a counterpoint.”

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Priscilla Doesn’t Shy Away from Dark Subject Matter Regarding Elvis Presley and Priscilla’s Relationship

Elvis and Priscilla’s friendship began when she was 14 years old, and blossomed into a romance that led to marriage when she was 21 and Elvis was 32. They were married for six years, from 1967 to 1973. Coppola said that she wanted to approach the relationship from a non-judgmental point of view.

“It definitely is looking at this mythic couple and showing his human side and I tried to approach it with sensitivity and not be judgmental,” she said. “I never wanted him to be a villain,” Coppola admitted, but, “It definitely doesn’t keep him on a pedestal.”

Priscilla doesn’t avoid heavy subjects, such as Elvis’ anger and volatile temper. Those behind the scenes aspects of the King were revealed in the film, taking moments that Priscilla Presley related in her memoir and bringing them to the forefront. Priscilla herself is credited as an executive producer on the film, so it is possible she had some creative input on her own story.

The film continues into Elvis and Priscilla’s estrangement and eventual divorce, though Priscilla has stated the two remained close friends. “I think she struggled and suffered,” said Coppola of Priscilla Presley, “but ultimately still thinks of him as this love of her life.”

(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)