Jacob Elordi on his 'mental breakdown' – until a Cassavetes film saved him

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A line rarely spoken so openly in Hollywood: Jacob Elordi has talked at an event in Santa Monica about believing he was having a "mental breakdown" – until a John Cassavetes film gave him something else to think about. As he put it, the work made him "feel a lot less insane and alone."

What it means for you: Even in front of an audience of film-industry figures, the Australian is opening up with a deeply personal story – about self-doubt at the start of his career and about an old movie that helped him feel less lost.

What kind of evening was it in Santa Monica?

Elordi was a guest on Friday at the first "Cartier Cinema Club" event in the US, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The venue was the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. By his side: Oscar-winning filmmaker Sean Baker, who spoke with the actor and Cartier ambassador about the role of cinema in their lives.

What exactly did Elordi say?

At the center was a moment when the Oscar-nominated actor, by his own account, thought he was going crazy. The turning point came for him through a film by US director John Cassavetes, regarded as a pioneer of independent American cinema in the 1960s and 1970s. Which Cassavetes title exactly was meant is not clear from the available sources.

Made Me Feel A Lot Less Insane and Alone

Elordi also explained that in his younger years he "probably made three films he thought were pretty bad," even though he had hopes and dreams. The full quote is cut off in the available excerpts; the Hollywood Reporter breaks it off in the snippet with "… and I had hopes and dreams of …"

Who else is involved – and why Cartier?

The Cartier Cinema Club series is a format of the jewelry house in which filmmakers talk about formative works. The US edition on Friday at the Aero Theatre was, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the first of its kind in the United States – with Elordi and Baker as conversation guests and Cartier as host.

Why Cassavetes – and why now?

Cassavetes' films – including "Shadows," "Faces," or "A Woman Under the Influence" – have long stood for a very direct, emotion-driven cinema. The fact that he is singled out now shows how strongly older works still influence working actors today. Elordi joins a line of stars who speak openly about the psychological pressures of the film business.