When Jacob Elordi discovered an unlikely fan of ‘Euphoria’
For any newcomer in the film business, the idea that Hollywood heavyweights might be watching your work or even know who you are is a strange one. Compared to the greats, your presence feels insignificant and fragile, with limited experiences in the business to feel anywhere close to having earned your place and belonging to such a glamorous and accomplished world. But whether you like it or not, once you’re in the Hollywood club, you’re in for life, and fame will follow you around, even when you don’t expect it to.
This was certainly the case for Hollywood rising star Jacob Elordi, who has worked with directors like Paul Schrader, Guillermo del Toro and Sofia Coppola since his breakout role in the original Netflix film, The Kissing Booth. While his journey to fame appeared to be very sudden and fast, the Australian actor was hustling for many years before reaching his big break, which came in the form of his leading role in Sam Levinson’s HBO series, Euphoria.
Elordi plays Nate Jacobs in the series, a not-so-typical angry young man who seemingly controls the lives of everyone in town, blackmailing his way to power and sticking his nose in places they shouldn’t be. As the head of the football team and high school heartthrob, Nate’s life seems perfect from the outside, with Levinson’s grungy story slowly revealing the discontent and darkness that lie under the façade.
The show was praised for its unique visual style and normalised excessive makeup use, with a vibrant colour palette that adds to the otherworldly feeling of this town being detached from reality. But among the unique visual style and immersive cinematography, one of the most talked-about aspects of the show was the showcasing of new and emerging talent, with Elordi’s testosterone-fuelled and aggressively fragile portrayal of Nate being one of them, and something that didn’t go unnoticed by one of his acting heroes.
When talking on The Jimmy Fallon Show, Elordi revealed how he had been surprised by one Euphoria fan, in particular, saying, “The biggest one is Leonardo DiCaprio, which sounds like a crazy name drop, and it is a crazy name drop. But Leonardo DiCaprio, he came up to me in a club one time when I was much younger. And so we’re in this club and there’s really loud music and everything and he’s like, ‘the shot in the first season, the shot where you came in…’ and it’s just him and I in this club talking about camera angles.”
Some people in Hollywood might warn you against meeting your heroes, but if your biggest idol is a huge cinema nerd, then perhaps it’s okay. Geeking out about camera angles with DiCaprio would be a dream for most cinephiles, with Elordi realising an unexpected fantasy when discovering that the actor was a fan of his show, even if he might not seem like an obvious target audience.
The show has brought in fans from all kinds of circles, whether it be Gaspar Noé or Andrew Garfield, showing that while it might be hard to comprehend that your work is seen by the people at the top, if you make something worthwhile, then it will be seen and found by those who appreciate good storytelling.
