In an interview for Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show,” Jacob Elordi, star of director Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” detailed the lengthy time spent transforming into the Creature.
“Frankenstein” features Elordi as the Creature, a human-like invention crafted by the disgruntled scientist Victor Frankenstein, played by Oscar Isaac. Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Felix Kammerer star alongside the two in the horror adaptation. Released on Netflix on November 7, “Frankenstein” picked up nearly 30 million views in its first few days.
Jacob Elordi Spent Up to 11 Hours in the Makeup Chair
Elordi revealed that he spent a significant amount of time in makeup sessions. Scenes where the Creature is heavily exposed demanded up to 11 hours of cosmetic applications. Portions of “Frankenstein” where Elordi’s body is hidden by oversized, ghoulish garments required less time. However, the actor still clocked in an impressive minimum of six hours in the makeup chair.
“Your body is made up of parts of different humans, and you would think that a lot of it would be done with CGI,” remarked Fallon of the character design. Rather than rely on CGI, del Toro insisted that the Creature be created with makeup and practical effects. Elordi wore up to 42 prosthetics.
Elordi replied that it is a “rare thing” for a contemporary movie to use such intense practical effects. He praised the “great artists” working behind the scenes on the film’s production design.
Jacob Elordi Fully Dedicated Himself to His ‘Frankenstein’ Role
GettySitting in these lengthy makeup sessions propelled Elordi to further immerse himself in his role. In his appearances as various versions of the Creature, Elordi is unrecognizable. The actor completely separates himself from his charming looks in other projects like “Euphoria” and “The Kissing Booth.”
“You often don’t get that much time when you’re filming to be able to get into something,” he said. Focusing on transforming into his character allowed Elordi to “leave all of this stuff behind…and become something else.”
His dedication to the extensive transformation did not go unnoticed. “Frankenstein” director del Toro praised Elordi for his commitment to the role, telling Variety that he “never once” complained about the demanding nature of the film, which sometimes required 20-hour days. The young star is a massive fan of del Toro, going as far as to call the Oscar-winner the “greatest filmmaker alive.”
After receiving heavy praise for his performance from Fallon, Elordi concluded the interview by describing “Frankenstein” as a “really human” film.
Elordi will soon take on another adaptation of a Gothic classic alongside Margot Robbie in the upcoming “Wuthering Heights,” set to release on Valentine’s Day.
“Frankenstein” is now available to stream on Netflix.
