Austin Butler Gets Monstrous Transformation in ‘Saturday Night Live’ Promo

Austin Butler has a little less conversation and a little more mask-wearing in the first promo for his Saturday Night Live hosting debut.

The Elvis star, who continues to play a key part in this year’s awards-season conversation, takes center stage at Studio 8H in the promotional footage released ahead of his Dec. 17 holiday episode, which is also the NBC comedy series’ final new installment of 2022. Lizzo is the night’s musical guest and will be stepping in for previously announced performers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who need to skip due to illness.

Butler’s SNL spot shows the actor slowly making his way through the historic studio, looking dapper as ever with his hair perfectly coiffed. “Here we go,” Butler confidently tells himself.

However, things quickly go awry as the host learns he needs to don a spooky green mask and Santa Claus hat to transform into a Christmas goblin. “Let’s do this,” he gamely replies.

Butler, 31, got his start as a child actor and is known for such television credits as The Shannara Chronicles and for film roles including The Dead Don’t Die and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

However, his breakout turn came earlier this year with the part of cultural icon Elvis Presley in director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis opposite Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. This week, Butler was nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for the film, which follows his People’s Choice win earlier this month.

The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic David Rooney praised Butler’s performance in his review: “His stage moves are sexy and hypnotic, his melancholy mama’s-boy lost quality is swoon-worthy and he captures the tragic paradox of a phenomenal success story who clings tenaciously to the American Dream even as it keeps crumbling in his hands.”

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on NBC.