The role of Priscilla Presley could easily be a thankless one.
After all, she is still very much alive, and her accomplishments are sometimes downplayed by others. No spouse could match the career of the larger-than-life Elvis Presley, but Priscilla has achieved many notable accomplishments, including entrepreneur, actress, and philanthropist.
She remains an intriguing figure, and there have been at least eight actresses to portray her on screen:
Season Hubley played Priscilla to Kurt Russell's Elvis in the biopic Elvis (1979). The movie was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Susan Walters starred in the TV miniseries Elvis & Me (1988), the first adaptation of Priscilla's memoirs. Priscilla herself has a writing credit on this production.
Kehli O'Byrnein portrayed Priscilla in Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story (1993). Beau Bridges plays Colonel Tom Parker and steals the movie.
Alyson Court starred in the mockumentary Elvis Meets Nixon (1997), based on an actual meeting between Elvis and then-president Richard Nixon.
Antonia Bernath played a young Priscilla in the mini-series Elvis (2005), an exploration of Elvis's early career.
Ashley Greene had a small role in the crime drama Shangri-La Suite (2016). A troubled young couple travel to Los Angeles in 1974 with plans to kill Elvis.
Olivia DeJonge starred in Baz Luhrmann's Oscar-nominated Elvis (2022), which was named one of the top 10 films of 2022 by the American Film Institute.
Cailee Spaeny is the latest actress to portray Priscilla in the biopic, Priscilla (2023). It appears Priscilla herself is pleased with Spaeny's performance.
These movies say a lot about our continued fascination with Elvis - and with Priscilla, too, a talented woman in her own right.
Priscilla shows at Stettler's Jewel Theatre November 24-30. Please check jeweltheatre.ca for showtimes before arriving at the theatre.
See you at the movies!
Ruth