Jacob Elordi: Transforming into the Creature and Embracing Emotional Depth
Jacob Elordi is known for his compelling portrayals of complex characters, such as the cruel Nate Jacobs in Euphoria and the volatile Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla. However, his most striking performance to date is as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Elordi immersed himself in the role, undergoing extensive hair and makeup transformations and training in butoh, a Japanese dance-theater form, to embody the Creature's stitched-together body. His haunting performance earned him critical acclaim and award nominations, with Oscars buzz surrounding his portrayal. Up next, Elordi will tackle the role of antihero Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated Wuthering Heights.
The inspiration behind Elordi's look for the Creature came from a photo of Iggy Pop that del Toro shared with him. Elordi found similarities between himself and Iggy Pop after playing a POW in a previous project. The filming of Frankenstein was a lengthy process, with Elordi feeling isolated in a gothic house in Toronto during the shoot. He struggled to shake off the role after filming, as the specific body design and feeling of the character lingered for months. Transitioning back to reality was challenging, as he found himself inadvertently carrying over gestures and mannerisms from the role into other projects.
Elordi's emotional side is revealed when he watches Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, where he found himself crying alongside Kate Winslet's character. His go-to karaoke song is "Walking in Memphis," not Cher's version, as he enjoys channeling his inner Elvis. When asked if he is more like a cat or a dog, Elordi humorously chooses dog for a safe answer, avoiding the implications of stillness and wisdom associated with cats. Reflecting on his cinematic crushes from his youth, Elordi fondly recalls characters like I Dream of Jeannie, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in New York Minute, Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana, and Hilary Duff in a movie set in Italy with a memorable fountain scene.