"I love you. We all love you. You made my dreams when I was 11. I'm so happy to be here," he continued, later adding, "and thank you, Mom and Dad. Cheers."
Elordi beat out fellow nominees Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another), Paul Mescal (Hamnet), Sean Penn (One Battle After Another), Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly) and Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value).
And for Elordi, one of the hardest parts of the role was physically transforming into the creature, with del Toro telling E! News how long it took to get his prosthetics applied.
“He took around 10 hours every day,” he revealed at the Oct. 6 Los Angeles premiere, “and about 42 pieces of makeup, prosthetics. And then he would have to work.”
And, as the filmmaker noted of Elordi, “He did it all with grace and patience and love.”
“I told him, ‘Look, it's like when a priest is getting dressed, there are many layers to the robes and the ceremonial guard. You have to think, this is your Ceremonial Guard. You're invoking the Creature,’” del Toro explained. “And the result is heartbreaking and beautiful. It’s a really naked performance—emotionally so close to innocence that it breaks your heart.”
See who else won big at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards. WINNER: Miles Caton – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Cary Christopher - Weapons (Warner Bros.) One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (Warner Bros.) Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.) Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Cassandra Kulukundis – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
WINNER: Francine Maisler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Colleen Atwood, Christine Cantella – Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal – The Smashing Machine (A24)
Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Laura Blount – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett – Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios)
Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Alex Wuttke, Ian Lowe, Jeff Sutherland, Kirstin Hall – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams – Superman (Warner Bros.)
“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films)
“Golden” – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
“I Lied to You” – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
“Train Dreams” – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise (Hulu) Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)
David Alan Grier – St. Denis Medical (NBC) Paul W. Downs – Hacks (HBO Max)
Curated by Ryan Davies
