Jacob Elordi Bio
Jacob Elordi (born 26 June 1997) is an Australian actor widely recognized for his leading-man presence and emotionally charged performances. He first drew global attention through Netflix’s The Kissing Booth franchise before earning sustained critical acclaim for his role in HBO’s Euphoria. Over the following years, Elordi built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most versatile young performers, with standout roles in Priscilla, Saltburn, and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
Early Life and Background
Jacob Elordi was born on 26 June 1997 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He is the son of Melissa Elordi, a stay-at-home mother and school volunteer, and John Elordi, a house painter. His father was born in Markina-Xemein in the Basque Country and immigrated to Australia from Bilbao at the age of eight to escape the Francoist dictatorship. Jacob grew up in a working-class household alongside three older sisters.
As a young athlete, Elordi represented Victoria in both rugby union and basketball, eventually playing on his school’s rugby team. At the age of 12, he performed in school musicals, including Seussical and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and also played Oberon in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A back injury during a rugby match pushed him away from athletics and toward acting, and he has said that reading Waiting for Godot in a drama class at age 15 made acting feel like his “church.”
He attended the private all-boys Roman Catholic secondary schools of St Kevin’s College and St Joseph’s College, later recalling that he “barely finished high school” and felt “deeply unsettled” during that time. Elordi also explored modelling at his mother’s suggestion at age 15 but was told he was too tall to fit sample clothes. Standing 1.97 metres (6 ft 6 in) tall, his stature became one of his most recognized physical traits in the media.
Path to Acting
Elordi’s earliest inspiration to act came from Heath Ledger, especially after watching his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. He later trained at an acting school in Melbourne and counted actors such as Marlon Brando, Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, and Ledger among his influences, reading their biographies and emulating their behaviour. At age 14, he began practising an American accent, modelling it after that of Vin Diesel.
His first experience on a Hollywood film set came in 2017 on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, where he appeared as an extra. He later moved to the United States in 2017 at age 19 to pursue acting, initially taking on small jobs while auditioning. With limited funds and a visa nearing expiration, he eventually landed an audition that would change his career trajectory.
Jacob Elordi Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
Elordi’s first credited acting role was in the 2018 Australian film Swinging Safari, where he played Rooster. That same year, he starred as Noah Flynn, the “bad-boy jock” and primary love interest, in Netflix’s romantic comedy The Kissing Booth. Although the film drew largely negative reviews from critics, it became one of Netflix’s most-watched titles in 2018 and introduced Elordi to a global audience.
After completing work on The Kissing Booth, Elordi moved to Los Angeles and began supporting friends on auditions while trying to land roles of his own. His appearance in the Pirates of the Caribbean film had given him an early foothold in the industry, but his path forward remained uncertain as he adjusted to life in a new country.
Breakthrough (2019–2022)
Elordi’s breakthrough came when he was cast as Nate Jacobs, a troubled high school football player with an abusive father, in Sam Levinson’s HBO drama series Euphoria. He helped a friend film an audition for the show and then auditioned himself, with plans for it to be his last audition before returning to Australia. The role debuted in the show’s 2019 pilot episode and was later described as his breakout, with critics calling it an impressive career pivot from The Kissing Booth.
He reprised the role of Noah Flynn in The Kissing Booth 2, released in July 2020, and The Kissing Booth 3, released in August 2021. In a 2023 GQ interview, Elordi stated that he did not want to make the sequels and described them as “ridiculous,” explaining that he took the work to establish himself in the United States. He also spoke out about being objectified as a result of those films.
During this period, Elordi expanded his range with roles in the 2019 horror anthology film The Mortuary Collection, the 2020 romantic drama 2 Hearts opposite Tiera Skovbye, the Australian comedy The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, and Adrian Lyne’s 2022 erotic thriller Deep Water alongside Ana de Armas.
Notable Works and Milestones
Elordi’s most celebrated works include his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s biographical drama Priscilla, which premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, and his role as Felix Catton in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Critics described Saltburn as a star-making role, and his performance earned him a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Jacob Elordi Award Nominations
Jacob Elordi has earned recognition from major international awards bodies for his dramatic performances. His most prominent nomination came from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for his role in Saltburn, marking an important early milestone in his awards career.
Jacob Elordi Awards Won
Jacob Elordi’s work has earned widespread critical praise, though formal awards wins have been limited at this stage of his career. His growing list of nominations reflects his standing among Hollywood’s most compelling young actors.
Jacob Elordi Family
Jacob Elordi was raised in a close-knit, working-class household in Brisbane. His mother, Melissa Elordi, encouraged his pursuit of acting, while his father, John Elordi, worked as a house painter and brought the family’s Basque heritage to Australia from Spain. Jacob has three older sisters and grew up surrounded by their support.
Personal Life
Elordi’s personal relationships, including reported connections with Euphoria co-star Zendaya, model Kaia Gerber, The Kissing Booth co-star Joey King, and YouTuber Olivia Jade, have drawn significant media attention. His height and classical looks have led outlets such as GQ and Rolling Stone to call him “Hollywood’s reigning heartthrob of the 2020s.” In January 2022, he became the face of Hugo Boss’s Boss the Scent fragrance, and in March 2023, he was named a global brand ambassador for the Swiss watch company TAG Heuer.
