Jacob Elordi on Heartbreak and Desire

Fresh from the acclaim surrounding Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Jacob Elordi takes his career to “a whole other level of hot” with Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights.

A bold and original imagining of one of the greatest love stories of all time, the BAFTA-winning filmmaker’s adaptation stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Elordi as Heathcliff, whose forbidden passion for one another turns from romantic to intoxicating in an epic tale of lust, love, and madness.

In this conversation, Elordi talks about answering Fennell’s call, rethinking everything we thought we knew about Heathcliff, working with a fiercely talented cast, and why Wuthering Heights—in all its cruelty and tenderness—continues to resonate with audiences today.

What drew you to the role and the film?

Jacob Elordi: The major drawing card for me to make this film was that Emerald Fennell asked me to. And I would really make any project that she wanted to do because I believe in her as an artist and particularly as a filmmaker. I want to exist in her cinematic world in whichever way I can. And also the idea of playing Heathcliff through her lens—she’s devoured the book her entire life and knows it inside out—seeing that character interpreted through her lens and with her specific point of view, was something that I was really interested in as well. I knew it wasn’t going to be a traditional replay of the character that we sort of know in our consciousness. 

What did you remember about the story, before you signed on and began work?

JE: I think what’s interesting is we do know the story, but we really don’t. We have an idea of the story that we’ve been sold over and over, but I think the thing that’s important about Emerald’s film and what she achieves in the movie is she captures the spirit of Emily Brontë in the film, of what’s going on under the text, the sort of spirit of Wuthering Heights. And Emerald interprets it through her own lens, through a modern lens, you know? And I think that’s what’s exciting about this particular interpretation. It will hopefully reinvigorate and inspire the ideas that you already have about Wuthering Heights.

Tell us about Heathcliff and his evolution in the story.

JE: Heathcliff, from the beginning of the film when he is walking with his father in the square, is somebody who was shouted at and dragged and hit, and sort of spurned from the world. He’s the original outcast. So physically, everything in his body is protective and curled up and bracing itself for an impact. And the set modeled that it was cold and unfeeling and isolating, so the walls and the rocks are closing in on him. Then when he comes back, and he sort of has money and autonomy and is this fully recognized, realized human being, he stands up straight, and his clothes complement him as opposed to burdening him, and it’s an interesting arc, and a good one to play.

Margot Robbie stars as Heathcliff’s soulmate, Cathy. Talk a little about working with her.

JE: I love working with Margot Robbie. I think when you work with her, it stops you complaining about anything because if you think you are handling a lot of things, she’s handling at least 50 more things at the same time and doing it with a smile on her face. She’s an endless source of inspiration on the set and a source of energy to draw from. It’s pretty astounding what she accomplishes. 

Wuthering Heights is a timeless but perhaps unorthodox love story—why do you think it’s still so beloved and timely?

JE: I think it displays love in its purest, sort of human form. There’s love, there’s a paternal love, there’s love between father and daughter and the ways that we torture each other in that way. And then there’s a friendship love, Nelly and Cathy, and the ways that we hurt each other through that kind of love. And then there’s the love of Cathy and Heathcliff, which is tortured and enduring and everlasting, and the sort of sadness that in spite of ourselves, we inflict on each other. It’s a totally universal, I think unrestricted look at what love is in all of its complexity, in its joy, in its darkness. And Emerald does an incredible job of flicking between all of these sort of colors of love. But she also does it without judgment, which I think makes it relevant as well.

In addition to Margot, you had a terrific ensemble to work with. Can you share a little about them?

JE: It’s a gift to be in my second film with Alison Oliver, who I believe is one of the greatest actors of all time, and what she does in the film is astounding. I remember being at the table read when she came in and played Isabella for the first time, and I just couldn’t believe what she had sort of imagined. And working with Shazad [Latif] was such a treat, ’cause you, you cannot meet a kinder man or a harder worker. So, it was quite difficult to sit at the table with him and feel negative toward him because I adore him so much. And Hong [Chau] is just a pro, nothing’s too difficult, she’s an amazing actor. Oh, of course, Martin Clunes. I mean, I’m not even fit to talk on Martin Clunes ’cause he’s such a legend. But what he does with his character, the line that he balances between cruel and caring, is just masterful. And then Ewan [Mitchell], who was also in my second film; he’s an amazing actor. It was incredible to work with this caliber of performers, especially in this world that Emerald created.

Emerald’s team of artisans truly brought a unique world to life. How does that help you as an actor?

JE: I was lucky enough to live the actor’s dream in this film, in that everything was tactile. The sets were handmade, the costumes were handmade. Emerald employs people who are specific artists and artisans, people that create with their hands, and the first time I walked into the sound stage and saw Wuthering Heights, with a carriageway with a real horse and carriage going through it, and then a giant archway with pig blood staining the walls and rocks jutting up everywhere and an absurd sort of red tree in the background… It was really like being there. And Emerald specifically curated that kind of environment for the film.

What do you hope audiences take away from the experience of seeing Wuthering Heights in theaters?

JE: My hope is that it reminds us all how deeply we feel, how much we all need love, want love, miss love. It’ll help us remember our unrequited loves. It’ll help us dream of our future loves. It really is an all-encompassing take on love and not just a romantic love. I hope it unlocks that part inside people that nowadays it seems that it’s cooler to turn off or hide away, you know? Hopefully it reignites some passion in people. 

Wuthering Heights opens in cinemas February 11, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

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