“She fully believed in me,” the “Frankenstein” actor said of mom, Melissa Elordi.

Jacob Elordi promised his 2026 Oscars date he’d take her to ceremony when he was 15

"She fully believed in me," the "Frankenstein" actor said of mom, Melissa Elordi.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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March 15, 2026 7:27 p.m. ET

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Melissa Elordi and Jacob Elordi at 2026 Oscars. Credit:

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Jacob Elordi is making good on a decade -ld promise.

The *Frankenstein* star, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2026 Oscars, promised a certain someone that he would take her to the ceremony when he was finally up for his very first award. After 13 years of waiting, Elordi, 28, is delivering by walking the red carpet with his mom, Melissa Elordi, on his arm.

The *Euphoria* alum previously teased this decision during his Jan. 27 appearance on *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, when the host asked who would accompany him to the ceremony.

Jacob Elordi and mom Melissa at the 35th Gotham Film Awards in December 2025.

Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

“I’m going to take mom," Elordi revealed. "I promised her when I was 15 that I would take her. So, I have to honor that."

He explained that his mother has not only been cheering him on for years, but also never doubted that he would make it big.

"My mom fully believed in me the whole time,” he shared. “And I remember dad did the dad thing at one point where he was like, ‘You know, you’ve got to have a plan B because this isn’t necessarily feasible.'"

As for how she'll fare at the star-studded event, Elordi admitted that while his mom is usually "cool" around celebrities, he plans to hurry her away if they come face-to-face with one specific actor.

"John Travolta," he said, joking that he'll have to "usher her to the next room" if she spots the *Grease* actor.

Elordi also shared another reason why his mom is the logical pick for his Oscar night date: she was the one who revealed his nomination. The *Kissing Booth* alum told Kimmel that he was "far too nervous" to wake up early on nominations day, but his mom had no such concern.

"I went to bed, and I was asleep, comfortably, and then I heard my mum's phone ring at like 5 a.m.," he said, before miming the pitter-patter of her feet on the ground. "And then [I hear] her little feet coming up the stairs, and then her face sort of told me that I'd been nominated. It was so beautiful."

Jacob Elordi discovered magic with Guillermo del Toro playing the Creature in 'Frankenstein'

Guillermo del Toro on the 'Frankenstein' scene he had to argue for, and how Jacob Elordi found the Creature's voice

He joked that it was "much better" than finding out on social media.

The Australian actor's first Oscar nomination is a result of his team-up Guillermo del Toro, whose latest monster movie saw Elordi covered in prosthetics to take on the role of Dr. Frankenstein's Creature. During his chat with Kimmel, Elordi confessed that he has always dreamed of reaching this career milestone at such a young age, an aspiration that was fueled by one of his acting role models, Heath Ledger.

"You’re supposed to say like, 'That doesn’t mean anything' and 'Art is subjective' and all these things, but it really was a dream of mine, particularly because of Heath Ledger," Elordi said of his Oscar nod. "A fun fact is actually I remember when I first started my career, I was kind of obnoxious, and I was like 'It’s not going to happen by 28, it’s going to take much longer.'"

Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Frankenstein.

Ken Woroner/Netflix

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But Ledger, who earned his Oscar nomination at just 26, showed him what was possible.

"I’m 28 years old, and I got nominated 18 years to the day after he passed," Elordi shared.

He then dedicated his nomination to the late star, sharing, "I’d like to take this to say thank you, Heath Ledger, for that inspiration. It really means the world to me."**

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