The Stunning Transformation Of Jacob Elordi
Jacob Elordi has come a long way since entering the spotlight back in 2018, and it seems he is here to stay. After making his first official film debut as bad boy Noah Flynn in the Netflix trilogy "The Kissing Booth," he later took on the role of the intense, toxic villain Nate Jacobs in both seasons of HBO's "Euphoria" in 2019, in addition to many other roles (via IMDb).
The Australian has always known he wanted to be an actor growing up; by the time he was 11 years old, he told Vogue that since seeing the magic trick scene in "The Dark Knight" with his father, acting was always his goal. "I was like, 'That's what I want to do. Whatever that is, that's what I want to do,'" he said.
Although Elordi is still on the rise to fame in his acting career, there is much to know about what he's done to get to where he is today, and what most inspires him to keep pursuing his dream.
He was born and raised in Australia
You would think since Jacob Elordi has done such an excellent job portraying American characters in television shows and movies that he was born in America, but guess again! Elordi was actually born in Brisbane, Australia on June 26, 1997, and was raised there (via Pop Sugar). After "The Kissing Booth" star graduated from St. Joseph's Nudgee College in Boondall, Australia (where, not surprisingly, he studied drama), he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of acting, which has been a successful journey so far.
Elordi's mother initially encouraged him to pursue modeling instead of acting. In an interview with Men's Health in December of 2021, Elordi (who happens to be 6 feet, 5 inches tall) said he is "grateful" that he didn't pursue a career in modeling. "I truly think I would've been miserable if I had to do that," he added.
The Dark Knight inspired Jacob to start acting
Every actor has that one film that introduced them to the world of entertainment and show business. For Jacob Elordi, that was "The Dark Knight" from 2018, which starred the late Heath Ledger. Elordi frequently refers to Ledger's acting credentials as his source of inspiration in his career.
In an interview with Wonderland Magazine in August of 2019, Elordi said that after watching Ledger in "The Dark Knight," he "realized that somebody was actually doing something quite important and special." The film made such a strong impression that it made Elordi want to become an actor himself. In fact, he called out Ledger as his dream co-star in an interview with IMDb in December 2018. "There have been a lot of times in Hollywood where I've wanted to throw in the towel, and I've watched something that he's said or watched his journey, and it's made me feel pretty good," he said.
He learned to perfect his American accent by rapping Eminem songs
As we mentioned before, Jacob Elordi is from Australia, which means he has a pretty thick Australian accent. If you watched some of his movies without knowing where he was originally from, you would have no clue that he even had an accent at all. Let's just say, it took a lot of practice to get it down right.
In an interview with ET Canada in August of 2018, Elordi explains how he mastered his American accent. "When I was 14, I decided that if I was to go to America, I wasn't gonna have the issue of not being able to do an accent, so I listened to American radio," he said. He continued to explain how most of the media in Australia is American, including films, radio, and television shows, so he was constantly surrounded by it and practiced it daily.
And let's not forget all the music he listened to every day. "I listened to a lot of Eminem," he claimed. Although he said some of his words would come out a bit more "aggressive" from all the rap music, he's learned to make his accent more "California and universal" over time.
Jacob was an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean
"The Kissing Booth" wasn't the first film Jacob Elordi ever worked on. Back when he was 17 years old, he was in the film "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." However, as hard as you may look to find him, you most likely won't be able to. That's because he was an extra in the film and did not portray a specific character. "People are always trying to find me in the movie," Elordi told GQ in July of 2020. "I was in the background of the movie. I wasn't in the movie. I wasn't credited. I wasn't billed. I didn't audition. I was an extra." He pauses to add, tongue-in-cheek, "And it was one of the best things I've done in my entire life."
Aside from the popular teen show "Euphoria" and "The Kissing Booth" trilogy, you can also find Elordi in projects such as "The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee," "Deep Water," "Acting for a Cause," and "Swinging Safari" (via IMDb).
Netflix's The Kissing Booth trilogy put Jacob on the map
Although Jacob Elordi has been in numerous shows and films throughout his career, what really introduced us to his talent was his role as Noah Flynn in Netflix's "The Kissing Booth" trilogy. He was so dedicated to the role that he even learned how to ride a motorcycle, which his character used on a regular basis (via Just Jared Jr.).
However, Elordi struggled with the idea of fame at the beginning of his new life in the spotlight. "At the time, I was super young and got thrown into a world where everyone wanted to talk about my body," he told Men's Health in July of 2020. "I don't identify with that whatsoever. I was trying to prove myself and be known as an actor. It was so much working out and I hated every second of it."
Although Elordi enjoyed his time on "The Kissing Booth," he said in an interview with Esquire that he felt a lot of pressure to become a serious actor after filming a teen movie. "I used to worry a lot about what people thought about me, and about the kind of actor I was because of the movies I'd made," he said. "I just felt very corny, and I felt like I had to prove to everyone that I was a serious actor. I felt terribly misunderstood."
Euphoria changed his life
Although starring in "The Kissing Booth" trilogy definitely put Jacob Elordi on the map and catapulted him into viewers' hearts, "Euphoria" was the show that really helped him become a star. In an interview with Wonderland Magazine in August of 2019, Elordi opened up about how he was almost homeless when he first auditioned for the role of Nate Jacobs in the hit HBO show, and how his life changed forever as soon as he found out he got the role.
"I auditioned — this was at a point where the movies that I'd made hadn't come out. I had no money, I didn't have anything, I was practically homeless in LA — and I went to the casting and I forgot my lines," he said. Later that day, he got the call that would change his career. "I had no name, I had no backing, you could not find any video of me acting anywhere. I was just a child, and they cast me. I was quite lucky." Although we have some issues with Nate Jacobs, we will forever be Team Jacob Elordi.
He was injured in a fight scene while filming Euphoria
If you are a major fan of HBO's "Euphoria," then you know Jacob Elordi's character, Nate Jacobs, isn't the most likable of the bunch — and his character's father Cal, played by Eric Dane, isn't much better. In the first season's finale back in 2019, the episode ended with an intense fight scene between Nate and his dad that left viewers shaken and ready for more in Season 2.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Elordi discussed the fight scene and what it's like to play such an intense character. "And Eric and I, we're incredibly close, so I basically said to him, 'Let's rock and roll and make it sort of as real as possible,' because I think it's super important and he was on board as well. So Eric ... smashed me," he said. "I was bleeding. I got a concussion. I ended up throwing up after work. It was gnarly. It was really, really gnarly, but it came at the end of my shooting period. I was just wrapping the show around that time. So it was almost like this massive letting go of everything over the eight months that we filmed. It was incredibly grueling, but it was so worthwhile, and I definitely couldn't have done it without Eric and Sam kind of walking me through it and helping me out."
Jacob's dating history is full of celebrities
Jacob Elordi's dating history is filled with plenty of celebrities, including a handful of co-stars from previous movies and television series. After filming "The Kissing Booth" back in the spring of 2017, sparks started to fly between Elordi and co-star Joey King (via Cosmopolitan). The two met on set and had great chemistry in front of and behind the camera, but unfortunately, the two split up — and then filmed two more "Kissing Booth" movies together afterward.
Between August of 2019 and early 2020, rumors started that Elordi and his "Euphoria" co-star Zendaya were dating as they were spotted together a few times, including once in Athens. Then E! News reported that the two were definitely together in February of 2020, but by September of 2020, things were over between the two stars. Next was Kaia Gerber (Cindy Crawford's daughter). Elordi and the model began dating in September of 2020, and things were pretty serious until they split in November of 2021 (via Us Weekly). As of this writing, Elordi and beauty influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli, daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, have been together since May of 2022 (also via Us Weekly).
He admires the fashion sense of many celebrities
There are plenty of celebrities and influencers who influence fans' fashion choices. Whether it's dresses, shoes, or hairstyles, it's safe to say many of us find inspiration from the styles of people who are in the spotlight or have a prominent social media platform.
Believe it or not, the same goes for famous people. Jacob Elordi opened up about a few celebrities whose fashion sense he appreciates. In an interview with GQ Australia in 2019, Elordi listed Harry Styles, A$AP Rocky, and Tyler, The Creator as three people he admires for the way they express themselves in their clothing. "I don't know if I dress like them, but I like the way they dress," Elordi said.
Indeed, Elordi's own personal fashion sense has been highlighted in multiple outlets, including GQ Australia, which featured photos of the evolution of his style over the years.