Another one of Jacob Elordi’s confessions has sparked a conversation about double standards in Hollywood.
As you probably know, Jacob is everywhere at the moment as he promotes two of the year’s most highly anticipated movies, Saltburn and Priscilla.
Having come a long way from the days of The Kissing Booth, Jacob is one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood today. However, when recently asked about how he picks his roles, the 26-year-old kept his answer pretty simple.
“I mean, I just play what they give me,” he told IndieWire at the Saltburn premiere this week. “You know, I need a job.”
With the candid response going viral on X, a lot of people are praising Jacob for his honesty, calling his reply “real.”
“He’s so real lmao especially with accepting that bad role in [The] Kissing Booth,” one person replied to a viral clip, echoed by another who praised his laid-back “attitude” to work.
He’s so real lmao especially with accepting that bad role in Kissing Booth
“Embracing the hustle with a touch of sarcasm — because who doesn't appreciate an actor who keeps it honest while navigating the wild world of showbiz? 😂” quipped someone else.
Embracing the hustle with a touch of sarcasm – because who doesn't appreciate an actor who keeps it honest while navigating the wild world of showbiz?. 😂
To make matters more interesting, his witty response comes just days after he made headlines for yet another self-deprecating comment about his career, telling GQ he thought The Kissing Booth movies — which launched his career — were “ridiculous.”
“I didn’t want to make those movies before I made those movies,” he told the outlet. “Those movies are ridiculous. They’re not universal. They’re an escape.”
And so, while Jacob’s honesty has been framed as a testament to his realness and authenticity, fans have noted that Rachel Zegler wasn’t given such a warm reception when she made similar comments recently.
To refresh your memory, while celebrating the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods in March, Rachel was accused of being ungrateful after admitting she took a role in the movie because she “needed a job.”
“I’m being so serious,” she responded with an awkward glance at the camera on the red carpet. “The reality is we’re in the middle of a pandemic and I was not working and I couldn’t get a job for the life of me, because West Side Story hadn’t come out yet. It was really hard to book work for me.”
And a few months later, she copped intense backlash again when comments about her titular role in Disney’s Snow White remake resurfaced online.
“I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I’m being so serious,” she told Entertainment Weekly last December.
“I watched it once, and then I went on the ride in Disney World, which was called Snow White’s Scary Adventures… Doesn’t sound like something a little kid would like,” she added. “I was terrified of it, never revisited Snow White again.”
After this, she shared comments on how the Snow White remake will eliminate the “weird” aspects of the original film, telling Variety: “She’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”
So, when all these comments gained attention this summer, Rachel was widely accused of “shaming anyone who liked” the animated original, with people calling her a “walking PR disaster for Disney.”
At the time, some came to Rachel’s defense, asking why male actors like Robert Pattinson and Harrison Ford are never met with the same criticism when they give brutally honest takes on their work.
And so, with Jacob’s honesty now garnering widespread praise, people are coming to Rachel’s defense and calling out the double standard once again.
“I have nothing against this, he seems like a decent guy who works hard, and this is a solid motivation,” one user commented on the video of Jacob on the red carpet. “But it’s patently unfair that Rachel Zegler said practically the same thing at the Shazam 2 premiere and was criticized heavily for it.”
I have nothing against this, he seems like a decent guy who works hard and this is a solid motivation, but it’s patently unfair that Rachel Zegler said practically the same thing at the Shazam 2 premiere and was criticized heavily for it. https://t.co/OLQgnAJFRa
“When jacob elordi says he took a part bc he needs a job it’s a funny joke but when rachel zegler says the same thing it’s bratty,” another person noted, adding: “hey alexa play ‘the man’ by taylor swift.”
when jacob elordi says he took a part bc he needs a job it’s a funny joke but when rachel zegler says the same thing it’s bratty. hey alexa play “the man” by taylor swift.
“He’s quite literally saying exactly the same things Rachel Zegler has been getting crucified for,” commented someone else, who garnered more than 31,000 likes.
They continued: “This is not hate toward Jacob Elordi, the two actors are friends and he’s a talented Man, but it’s so interesting that these two could be compared rn in terms of success and stardom for doing similar things and one’s getting vitriolic hate and the other is a hero of our times??”
Ultimately, people highlighted that the double standard is “very telling,” noting that the “hate campaign” against Rachel “was founded on misogyny.”
“All of you buffoons are very much showing your true colors praising jacob elordi for the exact same thing,” the same person continued.
like i said, that rachel zegler hate campaign was founded on misogyny & all of you buffoons are very much showing your true colors praising jacob elordi for the exact same thing. but alas.
Funnily enough, others pointed out that Jacob’s comment about needing work comes as a slight contradiction to his recent admission that he turned down an audition to play Superman.
“That was immediately, ‘No, thank you,’” he told GQ in the profile published this week. “That’s too much. That’s too dark for me.”
“I’ve always been told to say a rounded answer or my agent will get mad at me,” he continued. “And obviously anything can happen, but at this stage in my life, I don’t see myself having any interest in that. I like to make what I would watch, and I get very restless watching those movies.”
