Look at this person. He’s lock-screen material. Like something out of a vintage Calvin Klein campaign. He’s 6! Feet! 4! Inches! He has a swoony Australian accent and dimples so cute they could start an Insta account, become overnight micro-influencers, and start doing sponcon for Equinox. Fans don’t just stand—they drool.
But Jacob…doesn’t seem to care. He has plans. Brad Pitt–style plans. The kind where a young, hot, aspiring superstar decides to set his sights on an Oscar. Sure, he’s dabbled in heartthrobbing. He played Joey King’s dreamy football-jock love interest in Netflix’s rom-com The Kissing Booth. The pair even dated offscreen for a minute. And back then, he and Joey nabbed publicity points for flirting all over Instagram. But those photos—along with any trace of Joey and The Kissing Booth—have been deleted. We all deal with heartbreak differently, but it’s hard to believe that his aesthetic overhaul was unintentional.
IG tells us he is now into black-and-white photos, is focused on work, and likes to pose atop rocks. He has an admirable, very real Heath Ledger obsession.
In interviews, Jacob shares quirky details to remind us that he is, in fact, weird. He’s seen Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas enough times to recite it word for word. He used to collect merch from the TV show Supernatural. And although he’s still got training wheels on his career, he’s considered throwing in the towel and giving up more than once.
On June 16, Jacob makes his television-series debut in HBO’s Euphoria, the high school–based series coproduced by Drake that will make Skins and Degrassi blush. He’s playing another football dude, but Euphoria’s Nate is significantly darker than Noah from The Kissing Booth. He actually, truly terrifies. One particularly unsettling scene involves him, a kitchen knife, and a violent temper tantrum.
We won’t spoil the show, but let’s just say that Jacob brings this entitled, gorgeous, intimidating, sometimes shirtless douche to life in a way that raises the stakes. Even as a viewer, you’ll fear for your safety when he gets angry and pray that he won’t pick on you when he’s in the mood to joke around. You’ll truly hate him, even as you can’t help but stare.
It’s the kind of character that allows Jacob to prove he’s not just a cute face that a studio can stick on promo posters to lure in thirsty fans. Yeah, he’s hot, but he wants you to know he can be more than that. And more of Jacob is fine with us.
Regardless, you should still make him your lock screen, whether he likes it or not.
- Here’s a perf lock-screen pic to screenshot, BTW.
Dudes Who Put Their Abs Away for *Art*
You can lead a gorgeous horse to water…but sometimes he’s not willing to take any more hunk-horse roles after that. A few other Hollywood hotties who’ve decided to get serious:
Charlie Hunnam
Charlie was set to play Christian Grey in Fifty Shades but pulled out due to “scheduling conflicts.”
Robert Pattinson
Before we even had time to wear out our Twilight T-shirts, R-Patz not so subtly shaded the franchise and shifted to stuff like The Rover and The Lost City of Z.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Fine, in between Jarhead, Zodiac, and Velvet Buzzsaw, Jake has taken a romantic lead part or two, but he’s clearly here for the craft, man.
