The eerie coincidence behind Jacob Elordi’s Oscar nomination: “It means the world to me”
If you’d suggested in 2018, when Jacob Elordi hit Netflix screens as the popular bad boy Noah in the terrible teen rom-com The Kissing Booth, that he’d be up for an Oscar someday, you’d be considered raving mad.
It might sound harsh, but the thought probably never entered anyone’s mind as the Australian actor’s role wasn’t exactly memorable, even if it did launch him into the spotlight as the latest heartthrob, which was only emphasised when he played a similarly popular high-schooler in Euphoria.
However, the show’s considerably greater depth actually allowed Elordi to show off his skills, so maybe people were wrong about him, who could clearly do a lot better than The Kissing Booth and its two sequels, the last coming as recently as 2021, a thought that was cemented in 2023, when he nabbed a part in the surrealist The Sweet East, followed by a pretty convincing portrayal of Elvis Presley in Priscilla, and a major role in the scandalous Saltburn.
Fast forward to 2025, and Elordi’s days of playing high school jocks in his 20s have long gone, having recently tackled the role of the monster in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, a towering, windswept figure with cracking skin, which was achieved following ten hours of prosthetics meticulously applied to his body, every day; you’ve got to harness a lot of dedication to put up with something like that.
Taking on such an iconic role must’ve been daunting, but the actor walked away with an Oscar nomination under his belt, competing against the likes of Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn, something he doesn’t think would have been possible if he hadn’t idolised fellow Australian actor Heath Ledger from a young age, citing The Dark Knight as one of his favourite movies.
Ledger, who was 28 when he died, posthumously won an Oscar for his performance as the Joker, and Elordi, much like a slew of performers, older and younger, is greatly inspired by the star.
“You know, strangely, you’re supposed to say that doesn’t mean anything and art is subjective and all these things, but it really was a dream of mine, particularly because of Heath Ledger. He sort of showed me that it was possible,” he admitted in reference to his Oscar nomination while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
In fact, there’s a slightly eerie coincidence that ties Elordi to Ledger, with the actor adding, “And, a fun fact is actually I remember when I first started my career, I was kind of obnoxious, and I thought, I was like, ‘it’s not going to happen by 28, and it’s going to take much longer’. And I’m 28 years old, and I got nominated 18 years to the day after he passed, so I’d like to take this to say thank you to Heath Ledger and for that inspiration. It really, really means the world to me.”
Ledger has been a vital spark spurring many young actors, and his passing was a true tragedy, preventing him from being able to step up on the Oscars stage and celebrate for himself, so seeing Elordi being beyond grateful for a performance as groundbreaking as the Joker, and considering him his biggest hero, will make sure Ledger’s name and shine live on through others.
