Australian star Jacob Elordi's former school in Brisbane recently paid tribute to the Saltburn actor, sharing a throwback photo along with a congratulatory message celebrating his success on screen. The St Joseph's Nudgee College Old Boys' Association posted a picture showing the then-student looking very different in his final year of school in 2015. The much-younger Jacob stands with his hands in his pockets, looking slightly awkward in a blue-and-white striped blazer and wearing a huge grin. The school praised how "proud" they are of everything the 28-year-old has achieved amid glowing reviews for his performance in Guillermo del Toro’s new Frankenstein film.
"Jacob Elordi's (NCOB 2015) transformation for the role of Frankenstein is being hailed as one of the most striking reinventions of the character in years," the caption began. "Viewers and critics alike are pointing to the precision of his physical work, the emotional nuance beneath the creature’s restraint, and the way he anchors every scene with a presence that feels both monumental and unexpectedly vulnerable. Many are calling it a defining performance that pushes him into a new artistic tier."
The tribute also mentions how director Guillermo del Toro has reportedly called Elordi "one of my favourite actors working today" and noting that "he doesn't need more than two takes."
"This kind of praise has only amplified the excitement around a performer who continues to surprise with each new role. The Nudgee Old Boy and wider St Joseph's Nudgee College community are proud of all he has achieved and how he has stepped so convincingly into a role of this scale and cultural weight," the caption concluded.
St Joseph’s Nudgee College is a Catholic boarding school for boys located in Boondall, Brisbane. After growing up as a self-described theatre kid, Jacob moved to Hollywood as a teenager to pursue acting. Born in Brisbane in 1997, he has three older sisters and moved to LA in 2017 to pursue acting.
That year he had his first brush with Hollywood when he appeared as an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, taking the uncredited role of a Saint Martin’s Marine.
His breakout moment came in 2018 when he starred as a teen heartthrob in the hit Netflix movie The Kissing Booth, but he has since carved out a reputation for taking on bold, contrasting roles, from the toxic high-school love interest in HBO's Euphoria to deliver a chilling performance as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s biographical drama Priscilla.
Most recently, his turn as English student Felix Catton in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn earned him a 2024 BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination.