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\nSo I dislike sharing pictures of myself but I shared this on Instagram and figured, oh well, what the hell. These have been dark days and I am doing what I can to not just keep my spirits up but to stay motivated and engaged. Last fall, I interviewed Jacob Elordi for a project I’ve been working on for what feels like an eternity (a full year at the end of this month. Not being coy: I’ll announce when THEY announce). His “people” set up the interview and it just so happened to coincide with a terrible week where I was going back and forth from the hospital on lunch breaks, getting up early and going before work, working at cafes so I could be closer to the hospital, and etc. I had zero bandwidth for anything else – writing, pleasure, relaxation, or … getting nervous about interviewing Elordi, one of the hottest new stars in the movie galaxy. I just had no time to think about it, or to even hype myself up. I was prepared for the interview. I knew exactly what I needed to cover, and definitely kept in mind not wasting his time. But on the day of the interview, I had to basically go to the hospital in the morning, race back to my brother’s to do the interview, and then head back to the hospital. I even considered finding an empty room IN the hospital to do my interview with Jacob, but I was too nervous about there being some last-minute problem with connectivity, or us being interrupted … So I left the hospital, raced back to the house, set myself up quickly, and signed on to Zoom with two minutes to spare.<\/p>\n
Jacob signed on literally to the second of our meet-up time, which is hugely appreciated. (I’m a stickler for punctuality. It’s not about time. It’s about respect. Although on this particular day it WAS about time as well. I left the hospital for this. I needed to get back. He needed to show up on time. Valuing someone else’s time IS respect.) When I saw his face, I said, “Hi!” The first thing he said to me – literally the first thing – wasn’t even “Hi”. It was the following: “I just wanted you to know I read the tribute you wrote to Gena Rowlands and it was so good and I really needed it. She was my favorite.”<\/p>\n
There was so much going on in my life and his comment was so unexpected I was totally not cool in response. “Wait – wow – thank you!”<\/p>\n
I do not doubt his sincerity. I know his love of “old” movies. His favorite actor is John Garfield, okay? The man is connected to the continuum (and honestly I think it shows in his work). But the fact that he led with this<\/em> … was so meaningful as a gesture. He had an awareness of the status difference between us (which is meaningless, but you know, it does exist as a “thing”) and so he said that, and it pulled us on to the same level. He is famous, yes, but he was letting me know, he looked me up. I did my homework on him, and he was letting me know he did HIS homework on me. He actually read something I wrote<\/a> to get an idea of who he would be meeting that day. <\/p>\n It was so thoughtful! I was instantly comfortable (I consider this to be what “good manners” are all about: making other people feel more comfortable), and we started talking about not his career, but about Gena Rowlands! He was so kind, so smart, so self-deprecating too – so charming. Our conversation was excellent: my questions ranged from the practical, to establish a timeline, to the philosophical (“how do you think about such-and-such and what does it mean?”), and he was forthcoming, funny, and unbelievably open. Vulnerable, too. He told me all about his dog. “She is so pure in how she loves.” Come on. We went fifteen minutes over our allotted time! <\/p>\n I am not ashamed to say I am now a fan for life. I have admired his work already and I find it very promising (particularly Saltburn<\/em>). Even more than his work, I find his choices promising, the projects he signs on for. His choices show a real interest in potential career longevity. He wants to grow as an actor, he wants to challenge himself. It would be very easy to coast. But he’s going bold. Saltburn<\/em> is bold. Priscilla<\/em> is bold, especially since Austin Butler swept the world the year before playing the same “role”. Oh Canada<\/em> was bold! We like to see such boldness. We like to see a young heartthrob make challenging and serious choices. It bodes well. It means he’s not playing it safe. It means he gets what he wants to do. He’s focused on the right thing. You may be launched into fame due to your good looks and your participation in a hot new show, and new fans might make sexy slo-mo gifs of your every waking moment. <\/p>\n \n All good! Be hot and young and famous and enjoy it! But it’s what you DO with your brand new fame – what you choose to do NEXT – that is so important. He’s the real deal. “I just wanted you to know I read the piece you wrote on Gena Rowlands …” <\/p>\n Talking about Gena Rowlands crosses all cultural \/ generational lines. Jacob’s “gesture” made talking to him not a big deal at all. Because he started with that compliment, it just felt like a conversation, not an interview. Hierarchy and status were abolished. <\/p>\n Then we said goodbye, and thanked each other, and then I signed off and drove back to the hospital.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So I dislike sharing pictures of myself but I shared this on Instagram and figured, oh well, what the hell. These have been dark days and I am doing what I can to not just keep my spirits up but … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/21636fca1402fe5de26997166baf4386.gif\")
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