When adapting a novel into a film or television series, some minute details are often left out. However, for his breakout role as Noah Flynn in Netflix’s hit film The Kissing Booth, Jacob Elordi wasn’t letting up about his character’s smoking.
In a conversation with GQ, the Euphoria star revealed that he noticed a couple of shifts away from the source material when filming in South Africa — particularly Noah’s smoking, which was left out in the script.
“I remember saying, ‘He smokes in the book. I need to smoke. He needs to have cigarettes. He’s a bad boy. I was like, ‘This is bullshit!’ I remember going to war for it. I was like, ‘Are we lying to the fucking 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*cking Christ. Is this guy serious?’”
Coming in with such intensity for what would be his kickstart to fame proved that the Australian actor was aiming for a more authentic acting experience. The film also went on to become a huge success for the streaming platform, and two sequels — The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3 were released in 2020 and 2021. He reprised his role in both sequels alongside fellow leads Joey King and Joel Courtney.
Since then, Elordi continues to polarize many fans with his starring role as Nate Jacobs in HBO’s acclaimed teen drama series, Euphoria alongside Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Hunter Schafer, Angus Cloud, Maude Apatow, and more.