Jacob Elordi Brings Mom as Oscars Date for First Nomination

The Australian actor is up for his performance as the Creature in the 2025 adaptation of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein".

Mar. 16, 2026 at 3:23am by Ben Kaplan

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Jacob Elordi, the Australian actor known for his roles in "Euphoria" and "Wuthering Heights", attended the 2026 Academy Awards with his mother Melissa as his date. This was Elordi's first Oscar nomination, for his performance as the Creature in the 2025 adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic Gothic novel "Frankenstein". Elordi went through an intense physical transformation involving hours of daily prosthetic makeup to bring the Creature to life on screen.

Why it matters

Elordi's nomination marks a major career milestone for the rising star, who has quickly established himself as one of Hollywood's most versatile and sought-after young actors. His acclaimed performance as the sympathetic, humanity-seeking Creature in "Frankenstein" has further cemented his reputation and opened the door to even bigger roles and accolades.

The details

Elordi arrived at the Oscars ceremony dressed in designer fashion from Bottega Veneta and Cartier jewelry. In the film, Elordi's Creature was opposite Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, with director Guillermo del Toro praising Elordi's eyes as being "full of humanity" and likening the Creature to a figure like "Adam" - the first human, with an innocent quality. Elordi underwent an intense makeup process of up to 10 hours daily to transform into the stitched-together Creature.

  • Elordi's audition with director Guillermo del Toro took place in early 2024.
  • Filming for "Frankenstein" began in early 2024.
  • The 2026 Academy Awards ceremony took place on Sunday.

The players

Jacob Elordi

An Australian actor known for his roles in "Euphoria" and "Wuthering Heights", who received his first Oscar nomination for playing the Creature in the 2025 adaptation of "Frankenstein".

Melissa Elordi

Jacob Elordi's mother, who accompanied him as his date to the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony.

Guillermo del Toro

The director of the 2025 "Frankenstein" film, who cast Jacob Elordi in the role of the Creature after a Zoom call audition and praised Elordi's eyes as being "full of humanity".

Oscar Isaac

The actor who played Victor Frankenstein opposite Jacob Elordi's Creature in the 2025 film.

Mike Hill

The head of prosthetic makeup effects for the 2025 "Frankenstein" film, who discussed the intense 10-hour daily makeup process to transform Jacob Elordi into the Creature.

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What they’re saying

“Jacob's eyes are so full of humanity. I cast him because of his eyes.”

— Guillermo del Toro, Director (Variety)

“The creature could be Jesus. But with Jacob, it's Adam. He's the first human, and it has that innocence.”

— Oscar Isaac, Actor (Variety)

“The Creature's so grounded. You have to make the Creature real. If you make him too fantastic, then it goes out of the movie. So, the fantastic side of him is that we know he's been patched together from the dead and brought back to life. We know he's stitched up in areas and pieced together; that speaks for itself. So, you don't need any glitz and glamour or CGI to help that along. It has to stay grounded.”

— Mike Hill, Head of Prosthetic Makeup Effects (Deadline)

What’s next

Elordi has a busy year ahead, with the third season of "Euphoria" premiering on HBO in April and him also slated to star in Ridley Scott's "The Dog Stars" alongside Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin.

The takeaway

Jacob Elordi's first Oscar nomination for his grounded, humanity-infused performance as the Creature in "Frankenstein" marks a major career milestone for the rising star, showcasing his versatility and cementing his status as one of Hollywood's most promising young actors.