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Elvis Presley starred in more than 30 movies during his Hollywood career – and in those films, he also worked with countless actresses with who he got very close. But one instance on the set of Paradise, Hawaiian Style involved him getting very up close and personal with one of his co-stars.
Elvis worked alongside Chinese actress Irene Tsu in the 1966 movie, where he sang, danced, and generally played Elvis on the big screen once again.
Irene explained in her 2020 memoir, A Water Color Dream: The Many Lives of Irene Tsu, that she and Elvis shared a tender moment after she fell asleep on set. (Via Cheat Sheet)
After a tough day of shooting, Irene laid down and rested her eyes before falling asleep. Elvis noticed she was missing from the set, and hunted her down. Irene said Elvis thought she had fallen ill and needed some privacy, so he tried to look after her. But when she awoke, she was met with a huge shock.
Irene wrote: “I opened my eyes … and there was Elvis just 12 inches from my face applying a cold compress on my forehead!”
The actress explained how starstruck she was to wake up face-to-face with Elvis Presley, but what truly caught her off-guard was his smell. She said: “When I came to, I smelled a strong scent of baby powder and milk.”
No doubt an odd combination of smells, but perhaps this was Elvis’ signature scent while he was making movies?
After she had come to terms with what was going on, she made sure to remember every single detail of the King of Rock and Roll: “I shut my eyes and burnt every detail of his face and his smell into my mind. Wow! I never met anyone that looked like Elvis. He was just so beautiful.”
Irene also confessed that she, at first, didn’t even think what was happening to her was actually real. “For an instant,” she admitted. “I thought I was hallucinating. No words came to my lips, but I think I did manage somewhat of a smile. When in doubt, smile. That’s my motto.”
Elvis eventually explained to her what he was doing – simply trying to help out a sick colleague (even if he got the wrong end of the stick).
As the movie shoot went on, Elvis and Irene built a strong connection. They particularly connected over their Christian views. And before they parted ways for good, Elvis gave her some powerful advice.
Elvis enjoyed making impacts on people’s lives, so when the shooting for Paradise, Hawaiian Style came to an end, he sat Irene down and told her something she has never forgotten. Irene wrote: “Don’t let the light inside of you die out.”
While heartfelt advice was cherished by her, Irene felt that Elvis didn’t follow it himself.
She noted that Elvis “let his light die” before working himself to death. She was, of course, referring to Elvis’ death on August 16, 1977, which occurred due to excessive use of prescription drugs and a bad lifestyle.
