Actor Jacob Elordi, known for his role as Frankenstein’s Monster in “Frankenstein,” dedicated a staggering “10 hours” daily to makeup, according to director Guillermo del Toro.
Del Toro, during an interview with E! News at the movie’s Los Angeles premiere, shared that Elordi underwent about 42 pieces of makeup and prosthetics each day. “He took around 10 hours every day and about 42 pieces of makeup, prosthetics. And then he would have to work,” he noted.
Impressive Commitment to the Role
The director expressed admiration for Elordi’s commitment to the makeup process. “He did it all with grace and patience and love,” Del Toro explained. He likened the experience to that of a priest getting dressed for a ceremony, saying, “You have to think, this is your Ceremonial Guard. You’re invoking the Creature.”
The director concluded, “And the result is heartbreaking and beautiful. It’s a really naked performance—emotionally so close to innocence that it breaks your heart.”
Praise from Co-Star Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac, who plays scientist Victor Frankenstein, echoed Del Toro’s sentiments about Elordi’s captivating performance. The 46-year-old actor remarked, “He was so effortless. He never complained. He was in 10 hours of makeup every day. The fact that he would just show up and was so beautiful and vulnerable, I was so impressed with him.”
A Unique Take on a Classic Story
Del Toro has previously indicated that he does not view his adaptation of Frankenstein as a standard horror film. In an August discussion with Variety, he described it as “a story like Pinocchio, about a creature that is created by his father and thrown into the world, sort of into the deep end of the pool.”
He added, “He’s attempting to learn to swim by not drowning. Frankenstein is a song of the human experience. It’s the story of a father and a son.”
This film marks Guillermo del Toro’s eagerly awaited interpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 novel, “Frankenstein.”