In the glittering chaos of Hollywood’s awards season kickoff, one name has ignited more buzz than any other: Jacob Elordi. The 28-year-old Australian actor, once dismissed by some as a teen heartthrob from Netflix rom-coms, has stormed into contender status with not one, but two Golden Globe nominations for the 83rd annual ceremony. Announced on December 8, 2025, Elordi earned nods for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for his haunting portrayal of the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television for his lead role as Dorrigo Evans in the gripping miniseries The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

This double nomination places Elordi in rare company – alongside fellow multi-nominees Amanda Seyfried and Jeremy Allen White – and marks a seismic shift in his career trajectory. From the sun-kissed beaches of The Kissing Booth trilogy to the shadowed depths of war-torn prisoner camps and gothic laboratories, Elordi has transformed himself into one of the most versatile and sought-after talents of his generation. As the Golden Globes approach on January 11, 2026 – hosted once again by the razor-sharp Nikki Glaser – all eyes are on whether this could be the night Elordi claims his first golden statuette, cementing his evolution from Gen-Z idol to serious dramatic force.

What makes this moment so electrifying isn’t just the accolades; it’s the sheer audacity of Elordi’s choices. In a year dominated by blockbuster spectacles and franchise revivals, he dove headfirst into two profoundly challenging roles that demanded physical extremity, emotional rawness, and intellectual depth. Critics and voters have responded with thunderous praise, hailing him as the breakout star of 2025. But beneath the glamour lies a story of relentless ambition, personal reinvention, and a quiet defiance of Hollywood’s typecasting traps. This is the tale of how Jacob Elordi became a double Golden Globe nominee – and why his triumph feels like a harbinger of bolder, braver storytelling to come.

From Brisbane Boy to Global Phenomenon: The Making of a Star

Jacob Nathaniel Elordi was born on June 26, 1997, in Brisbane, Australia, to a working-class family of Basque and Spanish descent. The youngest of four siblings, he grew up in a modest suburban home where his father, John, worked as a house painter, and his mother, Melissa, managed the household while volunteering at school. Young Jacob was a sports enthusiast – rugby, surfing, and theater – but acting called loudest. By his teens, he was performing in school plays and local productions, channeling his towering 6’5″ frame into characters that commanded attention.

His big break came in 2018 with Netflix’s The Kissing Booth, where he played Noah Flynn, the brooding bad-boy brother opposite Joey King’s Elle Evans. The film exploded into a cultural phenomenon, spawning two sequels and turning Elordi into an overnight teen sensation. Overnight fame brought scrutiny: tabloid romances, paparazzi chases, and the label of “heartthrob.” But Elordi chafed against it. “I didn’t want to be the guy from the rom-com forever,” he confessed in a 2024 GQ profile. Concurrently, he joined HBO’s Euphoria as Nate Jacobs – a volatile, toxic high school jock masking deep insecurity. The role showcased his intensity, earning rave reviews and proving he could handle darkness.

The pivot accelerated. In Sofia Coppola’s 2023 biopic Priscilla, Elordi embodied a nuanced Elvis Presley – charismatic yet controlling – opposite Cailee Spaeny’s luminous Priscilla. Critics lauded his restraint: “Elordi captures the King’s allure without caricature,” wrote Variety. Then came Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn (also 2023), where his aristocratic Oliver Quick unraveled in a whirlwind of obsession and privilege. The film’s viral bathtub scene cemented his sex-symbol status, but his performance earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

By 2025, Elordi was selective, collaborating with visionaries. He wrapped Ridley Scott’s sci-fi The Dog Stars and prepared for Fennell’s Wuthering Heights (as Heathcliff opposite Margot Robbie, slated for 2026). But his twin triumphs – Frankenstein and The Narrow Road to the Deep North – redefined him.

The Monster Within: Elordi’s Creature in Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, released theatrically in October 2025 before streaming on Netflix in November, is a gothic masterpiece – lavish, heartbreaking, and visually staggering. Starring Oscar Isaac as the tormented Victor Frankenstein, Mia Goth as Elizabeth, and Christoph Waltz in a sinister turn, the film reimagines Mary Shelley’s classic as a “gothic fairytale” of isolation and humanity.

Elordi’s casting as the Creature was serendipitous – and last-minute. Originally set for Andrew Garfield, the role shifted due to scheduling conflicts just weeks before filming. Del Toro, a longtime dreamer of this project, redesigned the prosthetics for Elordi’s taller frame in a frantic nine-week sprint. The result? A Creature unlike any before: not the lumbering green brute of Boris Karloff lore, but a tragic, sculpted figure with pale, scarred skin, stringy hair, and piercing eyes that convey newborn innocence evolving into profound sorrow.

The transformation was grueling: 42 silicone prosthetics applied over 10-hour sessions, heavy coats wheeled to set due to weight. Elordi drew inspiration from butoh dance, his golden retriever’s movements, and silent-era expressions. “I wanted him to start as a baby – wide-eyed, curious – then harden into a man betrayed,” Elordi explained in a Vanity Fair interview. Del Toro praised: “Jacob brings battered nobility; he’s marvelous.”

Critics erupted. Rotten Tomatoes consensus: “Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein finds humanity in the monster, invigorated by Jacob Elordi’s standout performance.” The Hollywood Reporter called it “transformative,” while RogerEbert.com noted his “intelligence, sensitivity, and gentleness.” The film earned five Globe nods, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, but Elordi’s supporting turn stole the spotlight. Voters recognized his subtlety amid del Toro’s spectacle – a performance of quiet devastation that humanizes the “monster” in ways cinema rarely achieves.

A Soul Scarred by War: Leading The Narrow Road to the Deep North

If Frankenstein showcased physical metamorphosis, Prime Video’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North (premiered April 2025) demanded emotional excavation. Adapted from Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel, the five-episode miniseries spans decades in the life of Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans (Elordi as young Dorrigo; Ciarán Hinds as older).

Directed by Justin Kurzel (Snowtown, Nitram), the series weaves three timelines: Dorrigo’s passionate pre-war affair with Amy Mulvaney (Odessa Young), his harrowing captivity as a POW on the Burma Railway under Japanese forces, and his post-war life as a celebrated but haunted hero. Themes of love’s impossibility, war’s cruelty, and survival’s toll dominate – unflinching in depicting starvation, beatings, and psychological torment.

Elordi’s commitment was total: extreme weight loss (dropping 30 pounds for camp scenes), immersing in Australian history, and physical rigor mirroring the prisoners’ suffering. “We physically changed so much,” he told Radio Times. His chemistry with Young smolders; with Hinds, the handover feels seamless. Critics hailed it: The Guardian gave 4/5 stars for Elordi’s “finely balanced performance”; BBC praised the “smouldering” leads.

Metacritic scored 83/100 (“universal acclaim”). Though confronting, the series resonated for its layered portrayal of trauma – Dorrigo as flawed savior, loving yet distant. Elordi’s nod in the limited series category pits him against heavyweights like Paul Giamatti and Jude Law, but his raw vulnerability makes him a frontrunner.

The Double Nominee Phenomenon: Rarity and Resonance

Double nominations across film and TV are elite: Helen Mirren won both in 2007 (The Queen and Elizabeth I). Elordi’s feat – spanning a blockbuster horror-drama and intimate historical epic – underscores his range. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, he’s among a “trio of actors earning recognition for two separate projects.”

Social media exploded: #JacobElordiDoubleNom trended, fans marveling at his evolution. Australian pride swelled – alongside nods for compatriots like Sarah Snook and Joel Edgerton. Elordi, ever humble, posted on Instagram: “Grateful beyond words. This is for the stories that challenge us.”

On the Horizon: A Career in Ascendance

Win or lose on January 11, Elordi’s momentum is unstoppable. Upcoming: Heathcliff in Fennell’s Wuthering Heights (February 2026), a passionate, controversial take opposite Robbie; The Dog Stars with Scott; potential Outer Dark with Lily-Rose Depp. Euphoria Season 3 filming wraps his Nate Jacobs arc.

From Brisbane dreamer to double nominee, Jacob Elordi embodies reinvention. His nominations aren’t just personal victories – they’re a clarion call for risk-taking in an industry craving authenticity. As Glaser quips in promos: “Jacob’s bringing the heat – and the bolts.”

In a season of surprises, Elordi’s rise feels inevitable. Hollywood’s new titan has arrived – and he’s just getting started.