Breaking It DownDoes Jacob Elordi Hate ‘The Kissing Booth’? Everything He’s Said About Being a Part of the Movies

His Audition

“I’m a purist and love the movie theater, so I had this weird moral battle of ‘What am I aiding and abetting? Am I the face of this robotic, terrifying new age? Am I murdering this thing that I love?’ But there was this mentality of, ‘I’ll do whatever the f–k I’ve got to do to get to the United States and do what I love,'” the actor told Vanity Fair in December 2020.

Not Miserable

When replying to the fans’ concern that he was “miserable” throughout the movie, Jacob said, “You know what it is? It’s because I’m usually thinking a lot, like, an insane amount about something ridiculous. I think also, Noah is a moody dude, you know? He’s a moody guy. He’s not running around [super happy]. I wasn’t miserable, I was tired but not miserable. I had a blast.”

Calling It Quits

In the second movie, Joey’s character, Elle, has no interest in pursuing Taylor Zakhar Perez‘s character, Marco. When reacting to this story line, Jacob told Entertainment Tonight, “I feel like if you get told no, you should take the no, you know? Take the L, man, give up. Like, leave her alone, you know?”

Don’t Be Like Noah

When reading messages from fans with GQ, the actor responded to a message that read, “My girlfriend said [Noah’s] her dream guy. What are direct things I can do to be like that?”

Jacob replied, “That’s awful, I’m so sorry. Don’t be like Noah Flynn, I wouldn’t want to be like that in real life. Be yourself, man.”

Dealing With Fame

Following The Kissing Booth premiere, Jacob experienced overnight fame.

“It was super intense for a little while. Overnight you couldn’t really go anywhere, but it’s been two years now and it’s died down considerably,” he told GQ Australia in July 2020. “I’d love to be able to create films in a bubble where nobody knows who the actor is. They might still love the films, but somehow they couldn’t put a name to the face or something. That would be really cool.”

No More High School Roles

In the same GQ Australia, Jacob shared that he no longer wants to play high school sports stars.

“Nothing against that but I’ve sort of done it and it would be really hard for me to find joy in that,” he shared. “I’m also getting older now, and I’m starting to look older, so to keep going back to high school is kind of taxing.”

Talking About His Body

“At the time, I was super young and got thrown into a world where everyone wanted to talk about my body … It really f–king bothered me,” he told Men’s Health in July 2020. “I don’t identify with that whatsoever. I was trying to prove myself and be known as an actor. It was so much working out and I hated every second of it.”

While making the first flick, he “developed an intense fitness regimen” that required him to go to the gym seven days a week, twice a day. “I trained extensively for the first film, because it said it in the script,” Jacob explained. “I was so terribly nervous that I wouldn’t be what the script wanted me to be.”

Returning for More

Before the third Kissing Booth was confirmed, Jacob told Entertainment Tonight that he wasn’t sure if he would return for another movie.

“So many of these things end with cliffhangers, I’m trying to leave it up to interpretation,” he said in July 2020. “Myself personally, I don’t know what I’m doing after this phone call.”

The Final Film

“I specifically asked [to be fully clothed],” the actor explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live in August 2021 while talking about the final film. “I was like, ‘I need to have a shirt on unless I’m in a swimming pool or a shower.’ … It was getting ridiculous. It was insane.”

His Career

“I used to worry a lot about what people thought about me, and about the kind of actor I was because of the movies I’d made,” he told Esquire in November 2021. “I just felt very corny, and I felt like I had to prove to everyone that I was a serious actor. I felt terribly misunderstood.”

Jacob continued, “I got guarded for a little while, because I made a teen movie.”

Forever Grateful

“I wouldn’t be here making movies and TV if I didn’t make those movies,” Jacob told Access in January 2022. “I’m just so f–king grateful.”

Preparing for the Role

Talking about how he treats acting, Jacob recalled preparing to play Noah in The Kissing Booth.

“I remember saying, ‘He smokes in the book. I need to smoke. He needs to have cigarettes. He’s a bad boy,'” Jacob told British GQ in August 2022, noting that it wasn’t going to happen. “I was like, ‘This is bulls–t!’ I remember going to war for it. I was like, ‘Are we lying to the f–king millions of 14-year-olds out there? This guy smokes nicotine. It says here on page four – look!’ I imagine people were just like, ‘Jesus f–king Christ. Is this guy serious?’”

‘Those Movies Are Ridiculous’

Jacob told GQ in November 2023 that The Kissing Booth movies are “ridiculous,”

“I didn’t want to make those movies before I made those movies,” he says. “Those movies are ridiculous. They’re not universal. They’re an escape.”

Joey wasn’t impressed by his statements. While attending a Balenciaga runway show, the actress was asked about Jacob’s criticism of the franchise. “I think it’s unfortunate anyone would feel that way. I had a great time making those movies no matter what anyone says,” she told Variety the following month.