Jacob Elordi is making the 2026 Academy Awards a family affair.
The “Frankenstein” star, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” has confirmed he will be bringing his mother, Melissa Elordi, as his date to Hollywood’s biggest night.
“I’m going to take mom,” Jacob revealed during a January 2026 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “I promised her when I was 15 that I would take her, so I have to honor that.” He added that she “fully believed in me the whole time” .
The 28-year-old Australian actor, who rose to fame as a teen heartthrob in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth before earning critical acclaim for Euphoria, Saltburn, and his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Priscilla, has always credited his parents for their unwavering support. Here’s everything to know about John and Melissa Elordi.
John Elordi: A Father’s Journey from the Basque Country to Brisbane
John Elordi’s story is one of immigration and hard work. He emigrated from the Basque Country—a autonomous region nestled between France and Spain—when he was just 8 years old, arriving with only $8 in his pocket .
Jacob is fiercely proud of this heritage and has corrected public records to reflect it accurately. “My grandfather would strangle me if he knew that it said Spanish descent,” Jacob told GQ in 2020, clarifying his family’s specific origins . “I’m super proud of that heritage,” he added to El Pais .
By trade, John was a housepainter, and his work ethic became the foundation of the Elordi family. He spent 13 years building the family home in Brisbane with his own hands .
Jacob holds his father in the highest regard, describing him to GQ as a “totem of the kind of man that I would like to be.” John’s blue-collar background sometimes creates humorous disconnects with Jacob’s A-list career. “He’ll still be like, ‘Are you going to shoot the one … where you’re kissing? In the booth?’ ‘No, Dad, I’m making good movies, I swear,’ ” Jacob recalled .
Despite initial skepticism about his son’s career choice, John has become one of Jacob’s biggest advocates. He admitted to the Daily Mail that he warned his son about the brutal odds of the industry, telling him acting was a “one-in-a-million kind of situation.” Jacob’s response? “Why can’t that one be me?” From that moment, John and Melissa decided to “back him to the hilt and trust that he knew what he was doing” .
Melissa Elordi: The ‘Most Present, Loving’ Mom
Jacob’s bond with his mother, Melissa, is exceptionally close. An Australian native, Melissa was a stay-at-home mom who prioritized being present for her children. Jacob fondly recalled to GQ how she volunteered at his school’s lunchroom just to spend time with him while he ate the lunch she had packed.
He describes her as “the most present, loving, just beautiful, angelic human being on this planet” .
Melissa’s support extends to embracing Jacob’s career with enthusiasm. The family reportedly owns T-shirts featuring images of almost every character Jacob has ever played .
However, watching her son’s darker roles can be difficult. When Jacob first appeared as Elvis Presley in full costume during a FaceTime call, Melissa was speechless—”she just started yelling,” Jacob told Entertainment Tonight .
But his role as the abusive Nate Jacobs in Euphoria hit closer to home. Jacob told GQ that his mother called him, upset, after watching Nate get arrested for abusing his girlfriend. “I think she sees him as me,” Jacob said, acknowledging the challenge of separating actor from character.
The Elordi Family: Four Children and a Move for Ballet
Before Jacob came along, John and Melissa had three daughters, making Jacob the baby of the family—a position he admits came with its perks. “Growing up as the baby, I was definitely spoiled and I’m still spoiled,” he told GQ .
One of his older sisters, Isabella, pursued a career in ballet at The Australian Ballet School. The family made the significant move from Brisbane to Melbourne to support her studies, demonstrating the parents’ commitment to all their children’s dreams .
A Viral ‘Today’ Show Moment and a Promise Kept
The Elordi parents became accidental internet sensations in January 2022 during an appearance by their son on the Today show. Co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager spotted two people in the reflection behind Jacob during a Zoom call. When he flipped the camera, it was his parents, who had just flown in from Australia. Melissa hilariously hid in the pillows while John joked that being a “Hollywood heartthrob” was something Jacob could “Be better!” at .
Reflecting on that moment in October 2023, Jacob told Kotb that his parents are now fully tuned into his career. “They’re just tuned into everything, they can’t believe it. I’m finally like a real actor,” he said .
Now, with a golden statuette potentially on the line, Jacob is making good on a decade-old promise. For Melissa and John, who once questioned the odds but chose to believe in their son’s unwavering self-confidence, watching him walk the Oscars red carpet will be the ultimate validation of that trust.
