The Tragic Fates And Current Lives Of The ‘This Is Elvis’ Cast: 5 Key Figures Revealed

The 1981 documentary This Is Elvis stands apart from all other films about the King of Rock and Roll, not only for its use of rare, authentic footage but also for its unique casting approach. Released just four years after Elvis Presley’s death, the film blends real-life archival clips with dramatic reenactments, requiring a small but pivotal cast of actors to portray Elvis at various stages of his life. As of December 13, 2025, the legacy of this groundbreaking "rockumentary" continues, but the lives of the key figures involved—both the actors and the real-life confidantes who provided narration—have taken dramatically different, and in some cases, tragic paths.

The film’s power comes from its raw, unfiltered look at Elvis, relying on the voices of those closest to him and the talents of several performers who captured his essence across four decades. Decades later, the question remains: what happened to the actors who stepped into the blue suede shoes, and where are the King’s closest friends now?

The Actors Who Were Elvis: A Look at the Four Kings

Unlike modern biopics that rely on a single star, This Is Elvis employed four actors to portray Elvis Presley at different ages, a creative choice that aimed to show the King’s physical and emotional transformation. Their careers after the film, however, were strikingly varied, with some fading into obscurity and others carrying the Elvis flame until their final days.

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Johnny Harra (Elvis - Age 42)

• Role in Film: Portrayed the King in his final, most troubled years, specifically the famous 1977 concert footage reenactments.
• Biography & Post-Film Career: Johnny Harra (born Harry Lee Lovett) was a highly respected and legendary Elvis impersonator and tribute artist long before the documentary. He began impersonating Elvis at the age of 11. Harra’s performance in the documentary, capturing the 42-year-old Elvis, solidified his status in the world of Elvis tribute artists.
• Current Status: Johnny Harra passed away on March 30, 2011, at the age of 64. His death was a significant loss to the Elvis community, where he was often considered one of the best to ever perform the King’s music.

David Scott (Elvis - Age 18)

• Role in Film: Played the teenage, pre-fame Elvis, capturing the excitement of his early career.
• Biography & Post-Film Career: David Scott’s portrayal of the young, vibrant Elvis is one of his only known acting credits. His appearance in the film captured the energy of the future rock and roll star.
• Current Status: While definitive official records are difficult to find, multiple reports indicate that David Scott tragically died by suicide in the early 1990s. His brief time in the spotlight as the young Elvis remains a poignant footnote in the film’s history.

Paul Boensch III (Elvis - Age 10) & Dana MacKay (Elvis - Age 35)

• Paul Boensch III Role: Portrayed Elvis as a child, setting the stage for his humble beginnings.
• Dana MacKay Role: Played Elvis at age 35, during his triumphant return to the stage in the early 1970s.
• Current Status: Both Paul Boensch III and Dana MacKay appear to have had very limited, if any, acting careers outside of This Is Elvis. They represent the many non-professional actors often cast in documentaries or docudramas, whose lives returned to privacy after their brief moment on screen. Information regarding their current activities or whereabouts is scarce, suggesting they did not pursue a public life.

The Voices of the King's Inner Circle: Narrators and Confidantes

The unique format of This Is Elvis relied heavily on narration from people who were genuinely close to the star. Their candid voices provided an intimate, sometimes heartbreaking, perspective on Elvis’s life. The two most prominent narrators were his former girlfriend and his long-time road manager.

Linda Thompson (Narrator/Self)

• Role in Film: Provided a significant portion of the voice-over narration, offering an intimate perspective on her four-and-a-half-year relationship with Elvis.
• Biography & Current Status: Linda Thompson remains a highly active figure in the entertainment world and a vocal champion of Elvis’s legacy. She is an accomplished songwriter, winning a Grammy and being nominated for an Oscar. In recent years, she has frequently participated in Elvis Week events at Graceland and has given candid interviews about her time with the King. She also narrated the audiobook version of her memoir, A Little Thing Called Life, continuing to share her unique perspective on their relationship. Her continued public presence ensures the film’s intimate narration remains relevant.

Joe Esposito (Narrator/Self)

• Role in Film: Provided co-narration alongside Linda Thompson, offering the perspective of a loyal friend and business partner.
• Biography & Post-Film Career: Joe Esposito was one of Elvis’s closest friends, serving as his road manager and best man at his wedding to Priscilla. He met Elvis in the Army in 1958 and remained his right-hand man until the King's death. After the film, Esposito continued to be a major figure in the Elvis community, publishing several books about his time with Presley.
• Current Status: Joe Esposito passed away on November 23, 2016, at the age of 78, after a period of declining health. His death marked the passing of one of the last remaining members of the original "Memphis Mafia" who were still actively involved in sharing Elvis's story.

Lawrence Koller (Vernon Presley)

• Role in Film: Portrayed Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley, in the reenactment scenes.
• Current Status: Lawrence Koller, like some of the other actors, has only one known credit for his role in This Is Elvis. There is no significant public record of him continuing an acting career or having a public profile, suggesting he was a non-professional actor hired specifically for the role of Vernon.

The Enduring Legacy of the Documentary Filmmakers

The true topical authority of This Is Elvis rests with its creators, Andrew Solt and Malcolm Leo. Their innovative decision to combine archival footage with dramatic reenactment was a pioneering format that set the film apart and has kept it in the conversation for decades. The film was also notable for being the first to show the true, uncensored footage of Elvis’s final, bloated years, offering a "warts-and-all" account that was shocking to audiences at the time.

Both Solt and Leo have gone on to have distinguished careers as "rockumentarians" and producers, and they continue to discuss the making of the film, which provides the most current, fresh context for the 1981 production.

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• Andrew Solt: Solt is a renowned producer and director who later directed the acclaimed documentary Imagine: John Lennon (1988). His work on This Is Elvis established him as a master of archival music documentaries.
• Malcolm Leo: Leo is also a celebrated rockumentarian, known for his work on several music specials. He and Solt had previously worked together on Heroes of Rock and Roll, which led to their collaboration on the Elvis project. Leo has given recent interviews reflecting on the challenges and triumphs of getting the documentary made, often highlighting the difficulty of obtaining the necessary footage and the groundbreaking nature of their narrative structure.

The enduring success of This Is Elvis, which saw a 40th-anniversary discussion in 2021 and is still included in major DVD collections, is a testament to the vision of its directors and the commitment of its cast. By relying on the genuine voices of people like Linda Thompson and Joe Esposito, and the compelling portrayals by actors like Johnny Harra, the film remains one of the most definitive and emotionally resonant explorations of the life of Elvis Presley.

Key Entities and Topical Authority:

Elvis Presley, Joe Esposito, Linda Thompson, Johnny Harra, David Scott, Paul Boensch III, Lawrence Koller, Vernon Presley, Andrew Solt, Malcolm Leo, Graceland, Lisa Marie Presley, Colonel Tom Parker, Priscilla Presley, Memphis Mafia, Rockumentary, King of Rock and Roll, Imagine: John Lennon, Heroes of Rock and Roll.