Meet Jacob Elordi, The Actor Who Plays Nate On 'Euphoria' On HBO
He's more than just a hunky heartthrob.
getty We’re all well aware that HBO is a fantastic network that has brought us incredible shows like Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies, Veep, The Sopranos, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. But the new series Euphoria is unique in its own way and sets itself apart from these other shows.
The series follows the lives of high schoolers navigating trauma, social media, sex, and drugs, and features an all-star cast. Singer and actress Zendaya plays the lead role of Rue, and the show also features Maude Apatow, Eric Dane, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and more.
If you’ve been watching the show, you know how messed up in particular one character is: Nate Jacobs. Nate is a popular quarterback for the high school’s football team but also has a violent streak, using his good looks to hide his emotions.
But who plays Nate on Euphoria? Here are 5 things to know about actor Jacob Elordi, his personal life, and his own thoughts about playing this character.
1. He’s Australian.
Elordi was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and attended school in Melbourne. He was involved in school dramas and showed an early interest in acting. And like his character on Euphoria, he played football in college.
2. It’s not his first role.
Elordi had his breakout role in the film The Kissing Booth, where he played Noah. The sequel comes out in 2020 but he’s also had roles in 2 Hearts, Swinging Safari, and is set to be in the upcoming films The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee and The Mortuary Collection.
3. He’s drastically different than his Euphoria character.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Elordi spoke about shooting scenes where Nate becomes violent, as well as how his past has impacted him. In one scene in which Nate is in the locker room, surrounded by rowdy and naked men, Elordi discussed how it was to shoot:
“For me, it was interesting because that scene was actually very real, and the look on my face and the way that I was feeling was very real. The energy in the room of that many big men jumping and yelling and slapping you — nudity aside — I'm nothing like Nate, and it was so intense. I didn't realize locker rooms could be so intense...”
But he also revealed that he feels sorry for his character, given his childhood and upbringing.
In learning about Nate’s past, Elordi said, “It’s probably the biggest part where I’ve found empathy for him. I think it's really sad... just the way his father speaks to him about having to win all the time and needing to be on top and in control. It made me sad and made me have a lot of empathy for him, knowing that everyone on the surface wants to damn him because of his actions, which are awful, and not that it’s an excuse, but he has a very, very solid reason as to why he behaves the way he behaves.”
4. His idol is Heath Ledger.
An interview with IMDB revealed that Elordi looks up to Ledger, who was also Australian.
“There’s a lot of times in Hollywood that I’ve wanted to throw in the towel but then I’ve watched something that he said or just watched his journey, and it’s made me feel pretty good. I think he, Australian to Australian, makes me feel like movies are something really special.”
5. He used to date his co-star.
Elordi was linked to his Kissing Booth co-star Joey King, who recently starred in The Act on Hulu, playing Gypsy Rose Blanchard. The exes met in 2017 on the set of their film, and had a short fling before breaking up.
King revealed in an interview with Refinery29 that the two had called it quits: “All you can really do at that point is shut your phone off and crawl into your sister’s bed and watch Friends with her, because when you’re going through something and the world wants to go through it with you or [wants] to get every piece of detail from you about it, it’s really difficult. Some of these things are just meant for you.”
The two were very public about their relationship, constantly sharing photos of themselves on their Instagram accounts.
“I don’t fault it, but it was a little difficult going through some of that stuff a couple months ago. Now I feel good, and they’ve calmed down a little, which is nice. [The fans] can’t understand; they can’t grasp that reality could be completely different and completely not the same as what you see. So I think that the reason why it was really difficult for them to let up on it is because they just have a fantasy idea of someone else’s life, when it’s not like that at all,” she recalled.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.