Jacob Elordi's mother warned him against ever working with Guillermo del Toro after he stumbled across one of the director's classics.
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Jacob Elordi, who has recently nabbed a nod for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for Frankenstein, could’ve easily missed out on one of his best roles to date if he had listened to his mother. While recounting a childhood anecdote, the actor recalled stumbling upon Guillermo del Toro‘s Pan’s Labyrinth, and the eerie cover instantly earned his attention.
Fortunately for a younger Elordi, his mother agreed to rent the movie for him on the condition that he would never work with the director behind this movie (via Variety).
And I saw the tree and the little girl, and I turned it around, the DVD case, and I saw the Pale Man. And I remember thinking, what is that?
Fast forward to today, the Wuthering Heights star plans to take his mother to the Oscars this year, and chiming in on the moment, del Toro quipped, “It’s good to disobey one’s mother.”
Jacob Elordi Wasn’t Guillermo del Toro’s Initial Pick for Frankenstein
Before Elordi, it was Andrew Garfield, who was poised to play the role of the Creature in the horror. However, just 9 days before the production was slated to commence, Garfield was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts (via Variety).
Although the Saltburn star only had four weeks to deep dive into the character after he was cast as Garfield’s replacement for the Creature, del Toro’s screenplay for the movie helped calm his nerves.
So excited and so sure when I read the screenplay for the first time, that I had no fear… there’s no other filmmaker on this planet that could make a truly great ‘Frankenstein’ film
As it goes, the casting of the character couldn’t have been better, and Elordi has deservedly earned a nod at the stacked Best Supporting Actor category.
Guillermo del Toro Had a Specific Rule for Casting Frankenstein
Before coming across Elordi, del Toro had very meticulous requirements for the Creature’s casting. Not only did he want an actor over 6.5 feet for the role, but the actor had to be vulnerable, commanding, and multifaceted when it came to expressing different emotions.
Fortunately for del Toro, the search wasn’t difficult. After his wife and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recommended Elordi, del Toro watched the actor in Saltburn and Priscilla, and his eyes had del Toro convinced Elordi was the man for the job. Casting director Robin D. Cook recalled (via Casting Networks):
He went and watched Saltburn. He watched Priscilla … They had a meeting and Guillermo said that when he looked at Jacob’s eyes, he knew that was it.
The Pan’s Labyrinth director was certainly not wrong, and hopefully, this won’t be the last of what we see of Elordi and del Toro together.
Share your thoughts on Elordi’s The Creature below!
Frankenstein is currently streaming on Netflix (USA).
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