1. From Aussie Teen Heartthrob to Elvis Embodiment
Jacob Elordi’s acting trajectory has been fascinatingly steep. Jacob Elordi Elvis He first turned heads as the brooding Noah Flynn in The Kissing Booth—a teen rom-com that rocketed him into global fame despite its lighthearted premise. But where rom-coms cracked open the door, his transformative turn as Nate Jacobs in Euphoria smashed it right off its hinges, earning him critical acclaim for playing a deeply troubled character with rare emotional intensity GQ Wikipedia.
Playing Elvis Presley in Priscilla marked yet another evolution. Jacob Elordi Elvis No longer the flashy romantic lead or volatile teen, Elordi had to channel one of pop culture’s most complex figures—and he did it with nuance. It wasn’t just a role; it felt like a deep study into a man many believe they know, but few truly understand. And Elordi rose to that challenge.
His transformation from teen heartthrob to method actor is not merely a career pivot—it’s a commitment to serious craft. Priscilla didn’t ask him to look like Elvis. Jacob Elordi Elvis It demanded he be Elvis, behind closed doors, in private moments that audiences typically never see.
2. Getting Into Elvis’s Skin—and Stomach
It wouldn’t be Hollywood without method acting extremes, and Jacob Elordi Elvis leaned into one of the most bizarre ones yet. To match Elvis’s famously indulgent eating habits, Jacob Elordi Elvis he reportedly ate about a pound of bacon every day during filming—focusing on the “really burnt bacon” Elvis preferred, as relayed by Priscilla Presley herself Teen VoguePeople.com.
Such a dietary regimen is more than a quirky anecdote—it’s a physical gateway into character. Elordi explained that the weight gain was subtle thanks to his tall frame, Jacob Elordi Elvis though he became “the biggest I’ve ever been.” That extra bulk wasn’t just on his body; it seeped into his performance. Whenever life around Elvis felt indulgent, excessive, or decadent—that physical embodiment helped Elordi lean into those energies.
But it wasn’t just about calories. Method isn’t only bodily—it’s psychological, Jacob Elordi Elvis emotional. He explored Elvis’s contradictions: the generosity and charm versus the loneliness and rage. Eating bacon like a king certainly adds texture; internalizing the loneliness behind closed doors adds the soul.
3. Nailing the Voice—and Winning Priscilla’s Approval
If there’s one challenge harder than eating bacon daily, it’s nailing Elvis’s voice—without turning it into a cartoon impression. Elordi took the task seriously, focusing on how Elvis might sound when alone. Jacob Elordi Elvis He described discovering the distinction: “everyone has a performing voice and a speaking voice,” and he aimed to create Elvis’s personal, off-stage register Vanity Fair+1.
The real coup? Priscilla Presley herself was stunned by it. Sofia Coppola—the film’s director—voiced how when they watched the film with her, “what struck her the most was how much his voice sounded like Elvis” Vanity Fair. That’s extraordinary—the legend’s ex, decades later, Jacob Elordi Elvis hearing something she recognized as him. That’s not mimicry. That’s essence, channeling the man behind the myth.
Elordi didn’t overplay it, either. Unlike other portrayals that lean into performance voice long after filming, he focused on authenticity for private moments—shy, vulnerable, angry, uncertain, even.
4. Seeing Elvis Through Priscilla’s Eyes
What makes Priscilla stand out among recent biopics is its perspective: it’s not Elvis’s. Jacob Elordi Elvis It’s hers. The film draws from her memoir Elvis and Me and is told largely from her vantage—her confusion, her admiration, her fear, her love. As such, Jacob Elordi Elvis portrayal of Elvis had to hover in the background just enough to support Priscilla’s story, while still being charismatic, magnetic, and emotionally volatile TIMEWikipedia+1Wikipedia.
He conveys moments of disarming tenderness—slower-paced scenes where Jacob Elordi Elvis seems almost a teenage boy trying to be better—and flips to flashes of anger and control, like when he throws a chair against a wall near Priscilla, conveying just how frightening the intimacy can be Vanity Fair.
This shift between vulnerability and volatility makes the performance ambiguous—and riveting. It’s not a hagiography. Instead, Elordi suggests that Elvis’s magnetism could easily slip into menace—and Priscilla’s love into isolation.
5. Method in Everything: Research, Intuition, and Collaborators
Jacob Elordi Elvis preparation wasn’t just bacon and voice. He immersed himself in context: Jacob Elordi Elvis reading Elvis biographies—like Last Train to Memphis—consuming home movies, photos, interviews GQTIME Entertainment TonightEW.com Wikipedia. He treated Elvis not as a legend, but as a man whose interior life was largely undocumented and impossible to gloss over.
Jacob Elordi Elvis also forged a deep working bond with Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla). He described how they maintained continuity through years—asking “what year is this?” when filming scenes that span from 1959 to early 1970s People.com. That kind of detailed, collaborative storytelling ensures their chemistry feels authentic and anchored in time.
Sofia Coppola’s directing style added to this environment. She brought Priscilla’s personal insight onto set and fostered a calm, focused atmosphere. Elordi has referred to the process as “pure bliss” AP NewsEntertainment Tonight. That calm intensity is reflected in his performance: fine-tuned, personal, never over-the-top.
6. The Rule of Two Elvises: Butler vs. Elordi
It’s hard to talk Elvis on screen without referencing Austin Butler’s lauded performance in Elvis (2022). Butler emphasized Elvis’s stagecraft and cinematic arena; Elordi opted for the private side—the man behind the myth TIMEScreen Rant.
Time magazine described it as complementary: Butler’s Elvis is theatrical and manipulated by forces like Colonel Parker, while Elordi’s is vulnerable, manipulative in his own way, intimate, and seen through someone else’s life TIME.
Together, they offer a fuller picture: Elvis as legend and Elvis as human. Two cinematic Elvises speaking across time. Fans get both the spectacle and the shadow.
7. Legacy, Reception, and What’s Next for Elordi
Priscilla premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023, with Spaeny winning Best Actress—the kind of recognition that validates the emotional, restrained storytelling they achieved WikipediaWikipedia. The film earned good reviews and modest box office ($33 million) Wikipedia.
Critics and audiences praised Elordi’s performance for its depth, restraint, and voice authenticity. Vanity Fair hailed how it erased mythology in favor of human complexity WikipediaVanity Fair.
As for Elordi, the role earned him more than praise—it marked him as a serious dramatic actor, able to handle iconic roles without turning them into caricatures. His next high-profile turn, Saltburn, already garnered him a BAFTA nomination for supporting actor Wikipedia.
Final Thoughts: Why This Elvis Matters
Jacob Elordi’s portrayal of Elvis in Priscilla succeeds because it digs—and digs deep. It avoids the flash and spectacle in favor of quiet intensity. It’s not your rock-and-roll Elvis with gyrating hips and sequins—it’s the Elvis who, at night, takes off the jumpsuit, sits alone in a dim room, and wonders who he is when the applause stops.
By anchoring his performance in method (bacon, voice work, emotional research) and collaboration (with Priscilla’s own insights, with Coppola’s vision, with Spaeny’s chemistry), Elordi delivers a portrayal that honors the King’s humanity. It’s creepy, tender, charming, and chilling—often all at once.
In short, he didn’t just impersonate Elvis. He evoked him—flawed, fragile, powerful, unseen. And in doing so, Jacob Elordi gave us an Elvis we didn’t know we needed.