‘I Had Been Reading What Folks On The Internet Would Say’: Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi On How One Savage Review Birthed His Desire To Play The Creature

by

I’m really looking forward to Guillermo del Toro’s *Frankenstein* movie, coming out in 2025. While early reviews have been a bit mixed, I’m still incredibly excited about it. I’m particularly interested in seeing Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Surprisingly, the actor, known for *Saltburn*, says a harsh online comment actually inspired his approach to the role – helping him create what he hopes will be a truly memorable and tragic monster.

In an interview with the *Los Angeles Times*, Elordi talked about his beginnings in Hollywood and how one negative comment really affected him. He admitted that when he was first starting his career, he wasted too much time paying attention to online opinions, until a particular remark unexpectedly stayed with him. The 28-year-old actor explained:

When I was starting out, I used to read online comments about my work. After my first movie, someone wrote that I could only play Frankenstein’s monster, and that I should disappear from the screen. I actually thought that was a brilliant suggestion!

Most young actors would be devastated by such a harsh critique, but for the experienced actor from *Euphoria*, it sparked an idea that led to his most challenging role yet. In Guillermo del Toro’s *Frankenstein*, he plays the Creature opposite Oscar Isaac’s Victor Frankenstein – a part originally intended for Andrew Garfield. Hidden under elaborate makeup and prosthetics, he embodies a being just coming into existence, oblivious to the fact that being made from corpses isn’t exactly comforting.

The director of the film clearly believes young actor Jacob Elordi will deliver a compelling performance in this new version of the story, describing his portrayal as having a unique “innocence.” He noted Elordi’s Creature is both strangely unsettling and deeply human, even “heartbreaking.” The makeup designer, Mike Hill, agreed, highlighting Elordi’s ability to convincingly show both fierce anger and delicate vulnerability, sometimes within the same scene.

As a huge fan, I recently learned that taking on the role of the Creature wasn’t just a job for this actor from *The Kissing Booth* – it really meant something to him. He actually felt like it was meant to be! He explained it like this:

The role felt like it originated somewhere outside of me, almost as if it grew inside me – a compelling, undeniable urge to play it. I’ve heard other actors describe similar experiences, and it often seems like fate brought them to a particular part. But in my case, I truly believe this role was meant for me.

Filming required the actor to spend up to ten hours getting makeup applied, a process he approached with intense enthusiasm. This role is particularly significant for him, following successful performances in *Euphoria*, *Priscilla*, and *Saltburn*. However, the themes of *Frankenstein* – loneliness, self-discovery, and being made into something new – resonated with him on a personal level. “I was really going through a period where I wanted to disappear,” Elordi explained.

I was really trying to get back to a normal life and rediscover my creative process after a difficult time. When this movie project came up, my initial reaction was actually reluctance – I just wanted to escape. But I quickly realized that working on it, specifically by immersing myself in the character and the costume, was exactly what I needed to do. It felt like a chance to truly be free and reinvent myself.

It’s a fitting turn of events for the young actor who was once told he seemed emotionless, now brilliantly portraying one of cinema’s most sympathetic and complex monsters. A harsh critique from the past, intended as an insult, actually motivated Elordi to bring Frankenstein’s Creature to life and launch a new phase of his career.

Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Oscar Isaac lead the cast of Frankenstein, a movie that premiered in theaters on October 17th and became available on Netflix November 7th.

Read More

2025-10-20 01:08