Jacob Elordi wanted to quit acting after The Kissing Booth came out
8 August 2022, 18:46
Jacob Elordi thanks The Kissing Booth fans for “changing his life”
"It might sound quite sensitive and dramatic, but I am sensitive and I’m very dramatic. I hated being a character to the public."
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The year is 2018, The Kissing Booth just dropped on Netflix and you are absolutely obsessed with Jacob Elordi, the talented newcomer who has just brought Noah Flynn to life on screen in front of your very eyes. We remember it like it was yesterday.
Based on the wildly popular Wattpad series by Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth completely took over Netflix when it was first released four years ago. The film broke all kinds of viewing records for the streaming service and propelled its stars, including Jacob in particular, into a dizzying level of overnight attention.
In a new profile with GQ, Jacob has now opened up about how that level of instant fame made him feel, revealing that he actually almost quit acting shortly after the film was released.
READ MORE: David Harbour wants Jacob Elordi to play young Hopper in Stranger Things spin-off
Speaking about his experiences following the release and overwhelming success of The Kissing Booth, Jacob confessed that the sudden increase in attention and relentless scrutiny of his personal life took a toll on him.
Not only were fans scrambling to find out everything they could about their new fave, but they then also realised that Jacob and co-star Joey King were also dating in real life.
Jacob revealed that he wanted to quit acting because of it, "which might sound quite sensitive and dramatic, but I am sensitive and I’m very dramatic. I hated being a character to the public. I felt so far from myself."
Thankfully, Jacob didn't quit. After The Kissing Booth was released, he went on to land a role in Euphoria, starred in two Kissing Booth sequels (filmed back to back in 2019) and has a handful of projects in the works.
Jacob then went on to explain how his first encounter with the paparazzi terrified him: "It felt like, all of a sudden, I was a poster. Like I was a billboard. It felt like it was for sale. Then my brain went through the fucking wringer. Like, I wasn’t sure if I was genuine. It really skews your view. It creates a very paranoid way of living."
He also added that the theories that fans concocted about him calling the paparazzi on himself for attention were particularly stressful.
Despite his experiences in those early Kissing Booth days, Jacob doesn't appear to hold any hard feelings towards the passionate fans who watched and enjoyed the movies.
Shortly after the third film was released on Netflix in 2021, Jacob took the time to thank The Kissing Booth fans in a video message.
"I just wanted to take a moment to say an enormous thank you," he said. "To all of you, for those of you who have been there from the beginning with these movies and for those of you who are coming in just now. I'm so grateful to you, you've changed my life...Thank you so much."
Read more Jacob Elordi stories here:
- Jacob Elordi says he hasn't made a proper movie yet
- Jacob Elordi calls out Hollywood's "frustrating" objectification of men
- Jacob Elordi reacts to fans saying he looked 'miserable' in The Kissing Booth 2
- Jacob Elordi says he's "growing too old" to play high schooler Nate Jacobs in Euphoria
- Euphoria's Jacob Elordi addresses speculation about Nate’s sexuality
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