Australian actor Jacob Elordi has delighted fans with an amusing revelation about his preparation for an upcoming cinematic role. The 28-year-old Oscar nominee disclosed that he honed his Yorkshire accent for Emerald Fennell's bold new adaptation of Wuthering Heights through unconventional bath-time practice sessions.
Perfecting Northern Tones
Speaking at the London premiere on Thursday night, Elordi explained his meticulous approach to mastering the distinctive Northern English accent required for his portrayal of tortured romantic hero Heathcliff. "I just practise it in the bath, over and over and over and over," he told BBC News, highlighting particular linguistic features that captured his attention. "I like the 'meks' and the 'teks', instead of take. I like the M-E-K, T-E-K."
In Fennell's interpretation of Emily Brontë's classic novel, Elordi stars opposite Margot Robbie, who plays Cathy Earnshaw. The film presents what has been described as a "sadomasochistic" take on the gothic romance, with Martin Clunes appearing as Mr Earnshaw and Owen Cooper portraying the younger version of Heathcliff using his natural Warrington accent.
From Frankenstein's Creature to Heathcliff
This marks the second time audiences will hear Elordi employing Yorkshire inflections, following his recent performance in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein adaptation. The actor transitioned directly from one gothic production to another, admitting the shift occasionally caused confusion during early filming.
"It was one of my first scenes. The other actor said something, and I went 'Wwooouuuugh!'," Elordi laughingly recalled to Variety, recreating his character's initial vocal response. "Because I had learned to respond to everything with a grunt. Something was still there."
Yorkshire Inspiration Revealed
During a Venice Film Festival press conference where Frankenstein premiered last August, Elordi first discussed his Yorkshire accent experimentation. He confirmed that the creature's distinctive vocal patterns – including flattened, shorter vowel sounds in words like "blood" and "pumping" – were deliberately Yorkshire-tinged.
"David Bradley, who plays the blind man, is from that part of the world – so when the creature learns to speak, there are little bits and bobs [in there]," he explained of his character's voice development. Elordi expressed particular delight that British journalists had detected these subtle accent choices during initial screenings.
The actor had only three weeks to prepare for the Frankenstein role after replacing Andrew Garfield, yet the experience proved profoundly impactful. Discussing his interpretation of the creature – which diverges significantly from Boris Karloff's iconic 1930s portrayal – Elordi described an unusual personal connection.
Personal and Professional Transformation
"The reason I was drawn to it, is it's a vessel that I can put every part of myself into," Elordi shared. "Everything that's unconscious from the moment I was born to being here with you today, all of it is in that character. And in so many ways, the creature that's on screen in this movie is the purest form of myself. He's more me than I am."
This performance has since earned Elordi his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, while del Toro's visual reimagining of the creature broke from tradition by avoiding stitches and instead drawing inspiration from alabaster statues and phrenology diagrams.
Co-star Oscar Isaac, who plays Victor Frankenstein, praised del Toro's directorial approach, noting: "Guillermo said, 'I'm creating this banquet for you, you just have to show up and eat', and that was the truth." The director himself described his passion for the Frankenstein story as "a religion for me," joking about experiencing "postpartum depression" after finally realising his childhood ambition.
Anticipated Release
Wuthering Heights arrives in UK cinemas on Friday, February 13, offering audiences an opportunity to hear Elordi's carefully practised Yorkshire accent in its intended context. Meanwhile, his acclaimed performance in Frankenstein remains available for streaming exclusively on Netflix, providing an intriguing precursor to his latest literary adaptation.
The actor's dedication to vocal authenticity – from bath-time repetition to drawing inspiration from Yorkshire-born co-stars – demonstrates the meticulous preparation underlying these high-profile gothic reinterpretations, both of which have generated significant anticipation among cinema enthusiasts.
