Jacob Elordi mocked for his role in The Kissing Booth during Saturday Night Live hosting debut

Elordi has previously said ‘The Kissing Booth’ movie triology is ‘ridiculous’

Actor Jacob Elordi was brutally mocked for his role in the Netflix teen film trilogy The Kissing Booth while making his debut on Saturday Night.

The NBC comedy sketch show returned to screens on Saturday night (20 January) for the first time in 2024, with Elordi taking over hosting duties, joined by musical guest Reneé Rapp.

During Elordi’s opening monologue, he first mentioned his starring role in Emerald Fennel’s hit film Saltburn, which made headlines for its graphic sex scenes that went viral on social media. Saltburn is set on a luxury estate belonging to the aristocratic Felix Catton (Elordi), who invites his fellow Oxford University student Oliver Quick (The Banshees of Inisherin star Barry Keoghan) to stay with him for the summer.

Elordi opened his monologue by saying: “You might know me from ‘Saltburn.’ Not from seeing the film, just from seeing the TikToks,” he said, cutting to a clip of the viral Saltburn scene where his co-star, Barry Keoghan, is naked while humping a grave.

“I was the one in the grave. If you saw the movie, thank you. If you saw the movie with your parents, I’m sorry. If you saw the movie with your girlfriend, you’re welcome,” Elordi said.

He then went to fan questions, with SNL cast member Sarah Sherman member saying she thought his film was “absolutely gross”.

When he said that Saltburn isn’t for everyone, she replied: “What the hell is a ‘Saltburn’? I’m talking about The Kissing Booth. Two people kissing on the mouth… ew!”

After an uproar of applause and laughter from the audience, Elordi admitted: “Yeah, you know what, kissing is kind of weird when you think about it.”

Jacob Elordi and Joey King in ‘The Kissing Booth’ (Marcos Cruz)

Before his roles in Saltburn, the hit teen drama series Euphoria and Sophia Coppola’s Priscilla, Elordi was best known for playing teen heartthrob Noah Flynn in the Netflix franchise The Kissing Booth, which released three films between 2018 and 2021.

Adapted from Beth Reekles’s young adult novel, the first film saw protagonist Elle (played by Elordi’s ex-girlfriend Joey King) begin a relationship with her best friend’s brooding older brother Noah (Elordi) after they kiss for the first time at a carnival stand.

As part of his GQ Man of the Year cover in November, Elordi reflected on his role in the film trilogy and called the movies “ridiculous”.

Jacob Elordi during his ‘Saturday Night Live’ opening monologue (SNL/NBC)

“I didn’t want to make those movies before I made those movies,” he told the magazine. “Those movies are ridiculous. They’re not universal. They’re an escape.”

On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, The Kissing Booth has a critic score of 15 per cent, while The Kissing Booth 2 is at 27 per cent and The Kissing Booth 3 is at 25 per cent.

The SNL episode also featured Rapp, who recently released her debut album, Snow Angel and stars in the musical movie remake of Mean Girls, playing bully Regina George. She also popped up in an early sketch, joking that she’s been “going off in every interview” and is now required to do some media training.

During her second performance, she was introduced by Rachel McAdams, who played Regina George in the original Mean Girls star.