Elvis Presley has been portrayed by many actors since his death in 1977.

Almost 50 years after his death, the "king of rock and roll" Elvis Presley remains as popular and lucrative as ever. Given his larger than life persona and fabulously wealthy lifestyle, it is unsurprising his likeness has been commited to screen on more than one occasion over the past five decades. As such, many actors have attempted to capture him in various performances across movies and TV shows, from straightforward biopics to whimsical horror movies and imagined scenarios. His mannerisms and voice are hugely distinctive and instantly recognisable, which makes performing him all the trickier for an actor who needs to get these right.

Although no one looks exactly like him, clever hair and make-up have ensured that some have borne more than a passing resemblance to the legendary star, while also managing to bring a bit of themselves to the role. Indeed some actors made such an impression that they have played him more than once. Meanwhile, others have had the endorsement of the Presley family, which is high praise indeed. Express.co.uk takes a look at some of the best Elvis performances from actors on screen over the years.

**** Ensure our latest showbiz headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ****

Three years before Miami Vice turned Don Johnson into a global superstar, he slipped into a white jumpsuit for this 1981 made-for-TV movie. Set in 1972 amid Elvis' divorce from Priscilla (who's never shown), Elvis meets Linda Thompson, a beauty queen who becomes his live-in girlfriend for most of the last years of his life. He gained 40 pounds for the role of Elvis in his later years and while the film is forgettable, he gives a decent turn.

Evil Dead icon Bruce Campbell is perhaps one of the unlikeliest actors to play Elvis, but given the spin of this movie, his casting was perfect. He plays an ageing and forgotten Elvis impersonator - however it transpires he actually is Elvis, living out his final days in a retirement home. In keeping with his horror roots, the home is being stalked by a soul-stealing cowboy mummy and he must thwart the evil entity aided by his neighbour John F. Kennedy. Bruce does a great job playing a depressed Elvis, who finds a reason to live when he has to battle evil in this totally bonkers movie.

Nearly two decades before Baz Luhrmann's 2022 Elvis biopic of the same name, Cork actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers donned a gold lame suit and quiff to play Elvis in this mini series. He was nominated for an Emmy for his efforts. At times, it just feels like he is mimicking the king. However, he captures many elements of Elvis spot-on and his performance was universally praised by critics.

One Tree Hill star Tyler Hilton shone in his brief appearance as Elvis in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. It's the kind of performance that makes you wish he'd had a proper shot at playing the role on screen. He's mostly seen early on while touring with Cash and two other future legends: Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. He manages to convey Elvis' public swagger and private self doubt all in his few minutes on screen and adds a lot to a movie that boasts amazing (and Oscar winning) performances across the board.

This was the second adaptation of Priscilla Presley's autobiography, Elvis and Me, but unlike the 1988 made-for-TV offering, this had a huge budget and a big-name writer and director in Sofia Coppola. Rumoured James Bond favourite Jacob Elordi has a seven inch height difference with Elvis at 6ft 4in to the king's 5ft 9in. No amount of clever camera angles could disguise the huge height difference between Jacob and 5ft 1in Cailee Spaeny, who played Priscilla. Despite this, he was mesmerising in the role and it's no surprise he was nominated for awards for his performance.

It's fair to say Michael Shannon bears no resemblance to Elvis whatsoever. But in a wig and jumpsuit with a giant pair of sunglasses over his eyes, if you squint he can pass for the 1970 version. This isn't the singing, karate-kicking Elvis, rather, the film deals with one isolated meeting with the then-president Richard Nixon in the Oval Office on December 21, 1970. The meeting was kept secret until January 27, 1972, when The Washington Post broke the story. A famous image of the meeting is the most requested from the National Archives. Michael plays Elvis with a sly, mischievous streak - he is trying to be the top dog while facing up to a formidable adversary. It's a side of Elvis that you rarely see on screen and Michael revels in the role.

Given his striking resemblance to Elvis, it will come as no surprise to learn Michael St. Gerard played the star on many occasions and played Elvis on several occasions, perhaps most famously in the 1990 miniseries Elvis. He had already played him twice when he was cast in the miniseries. In 1989 he portrayed Elvis in both Heart of Dixie and Great Balls of Fire!, which ultimately led to him landing the career-defining role. Three years later in 1993, he reprised the part, appearing as Elvis' mirror image in the penultimate episode of Quantum Leap, titled Memphis Melody. Unfortunately for fans, Michael, now 65, won't be slipping on his blue suede shoes again anytime soon as he quit acting at the age of 33 to become a pastor.

Austin Butler brought Elvis to a whole new generation of fans in Baz Luhrmann's glitzy biopic of the star. He even had the blessing of Elvis' family. His daughter Lisa Marie Presley gushed: "It's almost like he channelled him... He put everything he had, his heart, his soul, everything he had into researching, reading, watching, and learning. He honored him in every way possible." Meanwhile, his granddaughter, Riley Keough, seemingly wept while watching the film. Awards panels were also impressed with his performance and he won a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

The OG Elvis actor, the then 27-year-old Kurt, stepped up to portray the King just two years after his death, setting the standard for everyone else who followed. It was a brave decision and it paid off as he was nominated for an Emmy Award for this performance, which was directed by none other than John Carpenter of Halloween fame. Kurt was already a veteran actor at that stage and ironically, he had made his movie debut opposite Elvis in It Happened At The World's Fair aged just 11 in 1963.