Jacob Elordi has the kind of life most people dream about: the jawline, the height, the screen presence, and an Oscar nomination for Frankenstein. From Euphoria to Saltburn, the Australian actor has made a career out of looking effortlessly composed while playing men who absolutely are not.

Hollywood has rolled out the red carpet, the designer suits have arrived, and the leading-man badge is flashing green. But behind the handsome-guy cinematic universe, Elordi once feared his own creative process was pulling him apart.

A 1977 John Cassavetes drama eventually handed him a surprising sense of relief, courtesy of one actress on the verge.

Speaking at the first U.S. Cartier Cinema Club event at Santa Monica's Aero Theatre, Jacob Elordi explained that early in his career he made three films he considered bad, while harboring dreams of being a ferocious stage actor. This gap between ambition and reality left him deeply dissatisfied with himself. It was during this period that he watched John Cassavetes' Opening Night, and the experience proved transformative.

"The movie made me feel a lot less insane and alone," Elordi said.

Elordi drew a direct parallel between himself and Gena Rowlands' character Myrtle Gordon, an actress teetering on the edge of a breakdown before a major Broadway opening.

Like Rowlands' character, Elordi believed he was having some form of mental collapse, but the film showed him that what he was experiencing was actually the artistic process of building a character, something that cannot be reduced to simply memorizing and delivering lines. 

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And his next Hollywood assignment might put that compass through another serious test.

Enter Ari Aster, Hollywood's unofficial supplier of existential nightmares and family dinners requiring emergency evacuation plans. Jacob Elordi is preparing for Scapegoat, Aster's upcoming A24 production, alongside Scarlett Johansson. Jude Law has been reported as joining, while Ella Purnell and Caleb Landry Jones are also attached.

Plot details remain under wraps, which feels appropriate for the filmmaker behind Hereditary and Midsommar. Even the synopsis appears to have entered witness protection. At the Cartier event, Elordi admitted that preparing for an upcoming movie had already sent his creative instincts into overdrive.

He described wondering whether extreme gestures, including throwing himself around or smashing something, might help unlock his character. Aster's reputation suggests another challenging collaboration, although the film's actual story remains a mystery.

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What do you think about Jacob Elordi finding comfort in Opening Night? Let us know in the comments.