“Fame can eat you alive if you let it.” That’s one of the powerful lessons at the heart of Narrow Road to the Deep North, the acclaimed new series making waves across screens. For its lead star, Jacob Elordi, the message is more than just a narrative—it’s a truth he’s lived through.
“You feel like an impostor,” Elordi tells The Gulf Talk. “You’re met with this public idea of who you are, and it’s never going to reflect who you actually are.”
That disconnect between public perception and private reality is something the 27-year-old Australian actor has learned to navigate—sometimes painfully—since his breakout role in The Kissing Booth in 2018. While roles in Euphoria and Saltburn brought critical acclaim and global fame, they also came with a cost: the loss of control over his own narrative.
“I wasn’t being treated as an actor anymore,” Elordi admits. “It became about the image—about what people wanted me to be, not who I actually am.”
The Role That Hit Close to Home
That’s part of what drew him so deeply to the character of Dorrigo Evans in Narrow Road to the Deep North, adapted from Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel. Like Elordi, Dorrigo is a man burdened by the weight of perception—a war hero held up as a symbol while privately battling guilt, loss, and existential doubt.
“I felt it in my bones when I first read the book,” says Elordi. “Dorrigo felt like a culmination of myself.”
Streaming now on Tod and airing on BeIN TV channels across the Middle East, Narrow Road to the Deep North marks a return to Elordi’s roots. It’s his first major Australian role since moving to Los Angeles in 2017—and one that holds deep personal meaning.
Coming Home, Coming Clean
“There’s this unspoken Australian thing I recognised in Dorrigo,” Elordi reflects. “So much of my dad is in that character. That quiet, stoic man. It’s in our bones, when you’re born here.”
Director Justin Kurzel, known for Snowtown and The Order, saw something beyond the heartthrob persona when he first spoke with Elordi.
“He wasn’t just another star,” Kurzel says. “He’s deeply curious, thoughtful, and completely committed to the craft. It was clear this meant something more to him.”
Elordi’s commitment shows. He threw himself into research—rereading the novel multiple times, watching films like Bridge on the River Kwai and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and even diving into post-war Japanese cinema and poetry. His approach was more than method—it was reverent.
Redefining Fame on His Own Terms
Filmed using handheld cameras and extended takes, the production of Narrow Road was designed to be raw and actor-led. “We wanted it to feel alive,” says Kurzel. “The actors were the kings on set, and we followed them.”
The experience changed Elordi. In November 2024, he quietly deactivated his Instagram account—abandoning over 13 million followers. In an industry where online presence often equates to career value, it was a bold move.
But for Elordi, it was necessary.
“Now I can focus on the work,” he says. “Without the noise.”
What’s Next: From Stoic Soldiers to Literary Legends
Elordi isn’t slowing down. He’s set to star as Frankenstein’s Monster in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, and Hig in Ridley Scott’s adaptation of The Dog Stars.
It’s a new chapter—and one written on his own terms.
“I’ve always been a man of movies,” he says. “Now I have the freedom to make them regularly—and hopefully make good ones. It’s a dream come true.”
Catch Narrow Road to the Deep North now streaming on Tod and airing on BeIN TV across the MENA region.
