Here’s how Jacob Elordi went from just a pretty face to most promising movie star

By Charlie Sawyer

Updated Sep 28, 2023 at 04:55 PM

Reading time: 3 minutes

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Image courtesy of Jacob Elordi from Instagram

When it comes to the most impressive career glow-ups, Jacob Elordi might just take the cake. The Australian mammoth has had a pretty momentous few years, and it seems as though he might’ve succeeded in shapeshifting from cringe-inducing dumb heartthrob to serious dramatic actor and leading man. It’s no surprise that every gen Zer and their bestie has a thing for Elordi—he is about as close to Hercules as we’re ever going to get.

So, how has he done it? How has the actor managed to segue from dopey teen rom-coms, to legitimate feature film productions and critical acclaim? That’s the question we’ll dive into in this article.

Elordi has been on the acting scene for a few years now. Having first started off by starring in a few small supporting roles, the actor got his big break on the Netflix original film The Kissing Booth. For anyone who hasn’t seen the film, congrats, you’ve avoided yourself 90 minutes of cringe. But, for the context of this article, let me explain the general plot. And before you say anything, I solely watched the film for educational purposes, okay?

Elordi stars as Noah, the stereotypical jock who catches the eye of his younger brother Lee’s best friend Elle. The two strike up a secret romantic relationship, and, as all romantic comedies go, trouble ensues.

The film was a real success among emotionally unstable teenagers, so much so, that shortly after its release, it was announced that there would be not one but two follow-up movies.

Oh, and if you ever stumble across a film called 2 Hearts, run, it is maybe the worst film that has ever been made. Rotten Tomatoes’ score of 17 per cent is honestly far too kind.

Following this, Elordi moved into the TV space, snatching a role in HBO’s highly-anticipated high school drama Euphoria. The aussie played Nate Jacobs, a highly abusive and toxic teenager who suffered with a serious case of daddy issues and treated women quite literally terribly. 

His stint on Euphoria definitely helped catapult Elordi into the mainstream, and also helped him garner respect as a serious actor and not simply a handsome face. Fast forward to 2023, and Elordi has officially ‘broken’ Hollywood. In 2022, he appeared in psychological thriller Deep Water with Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck. Moreover, the actor is starring in Sofia Coppola’s new biopic Priscilla as Elvis Presley plus Emerald Fennell’s upcoming feature film Saltburn.

One of the things that’s helped de-cringify Elordi has been his impressive street style. Pictured grabbing coffee or heading out with friends, the Aussie has become known for his casual fits—the boy knows how to turn a look.

We also love his affection for mini bags. I think one of my favourite recent trends has been more masculine presenting men embracing female accessories. We love a fashionable stud.

It’s no shock that more often than not, celebrities’ dating history is basically the most interesting thing about them. What can I say, us gen Zers love a romance scandal. And, Elordi, well, he’s had quite the roster of trysts in the industry.

First off, Elordi dated his co-star in The Kissing Booth, Joey King. The couple dated for approximately a year and even had to film the proceeding two films in the franchise together after they’d split up… Awks.

After his relationship with King, the actor began dating another one of his co-stars, this time though it was his Euphoria castmate, Zendaya. Now, I don’t often think about this relationship because I don’t like imagining a world where Zendaya isn’t dating Tom Holland. Nevertheless, it did happen.

It’s also rumoured that apparently Elordi may have at some point cheated on the actress, however, this has never been confirmed.

Next up was ultimate nepo baby, Kaia Gerber. The daughter of Cindy Crawford, Gerber was already very well-aquainted with the spotlight, and the pair blossomed into an adorbs couple. The duo stayed together for about a year before eventually calling it quits.

And that brings us to now. As far as we know, Elordi is very much loved up with another nepo baby: Olivia Jade. For anyone who doesn’t know Jade, she’s the daughter of Lori Loughlin and was wrapped up in a pretty juicy college admissions scandal that occurred in 2019. The 24-year-old has been an influencer for some time now, starting up a YouTube channel back in the day.

Having been romantically linked since 2021, it’s not fully known how the pair first met—although I can imagine that they run in pretty similar ‘aren’t we such hot shit’ social circles.

Not that I’m doubting Elordi’s acting abilities—his career progression has been legitimately very impressive. Once you get sucked into the Netflix original cycle, it can sometimes be really difficult to establish yourself as an individualistic serious actor,  in the eyes of the industry’s establishment. But Elordi is proof that even if you’re stupidly attractive, 6 ft 5, and Australian, you can still make it in Hollywood… What a trooper.