Jacob Elordy: The “king” of Gen Z is also a great actor
Julius, a character played by Jacob Elordy, trudges through the snowy landscape of Kansas. No longer in his naval uniform, he’s retired from the Korean War and carries the somber disposition and unforgettable gait of Montgomery Clift. Hitchhiking his way to his brother Lee’s house, where Lee’s fiancée Muriel resides, he arrives to find himself bare-chested in the cold, leaning against the car windshield, and asking a surprised Muriel for a cigarette.
Given that Muriel’s sweetheart is Will Poulter, better known as the geeky virgin from The Miller Family, it would seem a foregone conclusion that she would fall for Daisy Edgar Jones. However, in Daniel Minahan’s film adaptation of the melodramatic novel On Swift Horses, the situation is far from straightforward. Julius seems to be going nowhere, and the first lesson he imparts to Muriel, while teaching her the basics of poker, is to gather as much information as possible before making her next move.
Behind the enigmatic Julius, who constantly retreats into his thoughts and commands attention with his every move, is another troubled anti-hero. He represents the complex, moody, sexually fluid, and morally ambiguous characters that the Australian actor strives to portray.
Following Julius’s advice, Muriel relocates to California, fulfilling Lee’s dream of a fresh start and a home of their own. She works in a café, secretly gambles, and wins significant sums of money at the racetrack. Meanwhile, Julius vanishes, only to resurface in Las Vegas, sharing a bed with his casino colleague, Henry (Diego Calva of “Babylon”). Henry is a Mexican man who walks the line between corruption and integrity, unafraid to steal and take risks in his relentless pursuit of a major score.
Muriel anxiously waits for Julius, fretting over her life choices and oblivious to the fact that they share a unique, hidden secret. All the while, she flits in and out of a temporary and incidental love affair with her gay neighbor (Sasha Kaye).
Heart of a Gambler is a queer romance and drama, brimming with longing and guilt. It has a light touch of the John Fante atmosphere and unfolds in an almost meditative and elliptical manner, relying heavily on the captivating allure of its main character.
The enigmatic protagonist, who perpetually eludes grasp and becomes lost in his own thoughts, is another troubled anti-hero. This character, sexually fluid and morally unpredictable, is the type Australian actor Elordi aims to portray. Elordi began his career with roles he didn’t particularly enjoy, such as in the locally produced “Swinging Safari” and Netflix’s “Kissing Booth.” However, his role as a menacing blackmailer opposite Zendaya in the TV series “Euphoria“ catapulted him into the spotlight, leaving audiences wondering about the tall brunette with striking features and a dangerous allure.
Elordi is a devoted fan of the post-war Hollywood generation, including the likes of Brando and Dean. He admires Ledger and has studied the acting methods of Olivier and Day Lewis. Conscious of the dangers of being typecast, Elordi has challenged himself with diverse roles that defy his good looks.
He portrayed the ill-fated lover in Adrian Lin’s Deep Water, the serial killer in He Went that Way, and a femme fatale aristocrat in Saltburn, subject to the unvoiced desires of “reptile” Barry Kiogan. When Paul Schrader was searching for an actor to play a younger Richard Gere in “Oh Canada,” he chose Elordi, despite their height difference. Schrader confessed that he would have cast Elordi without hesitation in “American Gigolo” if he were making it today.
Despite his initial nerves in front of Sophia Coppola’s discerning lens, he was able to capture the unseen, youthful essence of Elvis in “Priscilla” with ease. He portrayed the King’s irresistible appeal to women, all through the perspective of the only woman who truly saw the man behind the legend. She admired the icon, loved the boy, tolerated the spoiled man, and ultimately sacrificed her illusion of him to save herself.
His most remarkable performance to date was in the recent “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”, showcased at the Berlin Film Festival. This five-part TV series features Elordi as a young Dorigo Evans (played by Kieran Hinds in older years), a medical student who proposes to his girlfriend but finds himself hopelessly drawn to his uncle’s wife. His life takes a dramatic turn when he is sent off to war and becomes a prisoner of the Japanese in Burma.
In the daily nightmare of the humid jungle, his scenes seethe with the despair of a futile existence and resonate with compassion for his comrades who could be lost at any moment. Amid the survival tactics in these harsh times, the future remains uncertain. It was here, and also in “Heart of a Gambler”, that Elordi showcased the vulnerability and generous love he had been striving to portray in his earlier roles, whether opposite Calva or Odessa Young, and irrespective of the sexual orientation of his character.
In the era of TikTok’s fleeting, one-minute animations, this poster boy of modern eroticism draws in his audience with complex psychological portraits that require time and commitment. He is a lover of unconventional cinema and a devotee of an acting style that values hard work and dedication over instant gratification. Despite his stunning photo shoots, he maintains a low profile and a humble demeanor. Unlike Timothy Salame, he is unlikely to publicly express his ambition to be the best and achieve greatness, even though he clearly aspires to it.
As expected, he finds it difficult to reject enticing, albeit demanding, offers from directors he greatly admires. After a long stretch of non-stop work, and having just completed Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” (where he played the Beast), he couldn’t resist Emmerald Fennel’s offer to play Heathcliff in her adaptation of “Wuthering Heights”, despite desperately needing a vacation, as he has mentioned in interviews.
It takes a significant role, though not necessarily a superhero or high-profile one, to catapult an actor into the realm of widespread recognition. This is a strategy that Leonardo DiCaprio has expertly employed throughout his career. In the coming year, we’ll see DiCaprio in a new light, as he stars in the sci-fi film adaptation of Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott.
THE HEART OF A JOGADOR (ON SWIFT HORSES) – Trailer with Greek Subtitles
