Making His Mom Laugh Made Austin Butler An Actor, 'Elvis' Spills In Teary 'SNL' Monologue

“Tonight, anytime you see me doing a silly voice or making a funny face, that’s for you, Mom,” Austin Butler said to his late mother.
Austin Butler gets personal in his first-ever "SNL" monologue.
Austin Butler gets personal in his first-ever "SNL" monologue.
Screen Shot/NBC/Saturday Night Live

Cutting up for his mom when he was a painfully shy little boy profoundly changed Austin Butler’s life and eventually turned him into the star of “Elvis,” he revealed in an emotional monologue on “Saturday Night Live.”

“Being silly with her is what broke me out of my shell and it’s the core of what started me in acting,” said Butler, who has been acting since he was a kid.

“Even though I had this crippling shyness, when I was with her, I’d do anything to make my mom laugh. I’d make funny faces and voices. I’d even do this ridiculous Gollum impression,” said Butler, who promptly did his Gollum impression.

One of his favorite memories growing up was watching “SNL” with his mom. “We watched every week,” recalled Butler in his first hosting gig on the show.

“My mom is no longer with us,” he added, his voice catching. “But I’ve been thinking about her a lot this week, just imagining how proud she’d be that her son who used to not even be able to order food for myself at a restaurant is now standing on this stage.”

“So,” he added, wiping his eyes with his hand, “tonight, anytime you see me doing a silly voice or making a funny face, that’s for you, Mom,” Butler smiled, looking up, to applause.

Watch it here:

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