Austin Butler is emotional as he dedicates his 'SNL' episode to his late mother

On December 17, "Elvis" star Austin Butler finally got his chance to host "Saturday Night Live" after his first scheduled appearance was canceled due to COVID. From the start, the actor made the night one to remember by dedicating the episode to his late mother, Lori Butler, during her moving opening monologue.

Butler started his monologue by pointing out how deep his voice was after "Elvis" and making an "iCarly" joke, but he quickly focused on his mother, to whom he credits his love of the game. 'actor. "Being stupid with her is what broke me out of my shell, and it's at the heart of what made me want to become an actor," said a tearful butler.

“Even though I had this crippling shyness, when I was with her, I would do anything to make my mom laugh,” he said. "I'd do funny faces and voices. I'd even do that ridiculous imitation of Gollum."

He then demonstrated his impression of Gollum before revealing that he and his mother used to watch "SNL" together every week. Butler continued: "We watched every week. My mum is no longer with us. But I thought about her a lot this week, imagining how proud she would be that her son who couldn't even order food for me in a restaurant is now on this stage. So tonight, any time you see me make a silly voice or make a funny face, it's for you, mom."

Butler wiped away tears as the crowd applauded his touching tribute. In an April interview with Vogue, the 31-year-old revealed he felt a special connection to Presley due to the impact the loss of their mother had on their lives. "I had watched all these documentaries and learned a few days before that Elvis' mother had died when he was 23, like me," Butler said. "I thought he probably had nights when he woke up from nightmares like this. So what can I do with that?"

Check out the gallery ahead to see Austin's moving monologue as well as all of the skits where he made funny faces in honor of his mother.