Jacob Elordi frankenstein takes on one of cinema’s most recognizable monsters in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, but the role is far more complicated than simply putting an actor under layers of prosthetic makeup. Elordi plays the Creature opposite Oscar Isaac’s Victor Frankenstein in del Toro’s 2025 adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
For Elordi, the project represented a major change from the roles that had established him as one of the most talked-about young actors of his generation. Rather than relying on his recognizable appearance, the performance required him to almost disappear physically and communicate much of the Creature’s humanity through movement, expression and voice.
The result is one of the most visually distinctive interpretations of Frankenstein’s Creature in recent film history. Here is what makes Jacob Elordi’s performance, transformation and collaboration with del Toro so significant.
Jacob Elordi Plays the Creature, Not Victor Frankenstein
One of the most important details about Jacob Elordi’s role is that he does not play Victor Frankenstein. Instead, he portrays the Creature brought to life through Victor’s experiments. Oscar Isaac plays Victor, the brilliant but deeply flawed scientist whose ambition drives the story.
Del Toro’s adaptation approaches the Creature as a fully developed character rather than treating him simply as a frightening monster. Netflix describes him as a collection of battlefield body parts who develops a consciousness independent of his creator. That distinction is central to the movie because the Creature is not merely an obstacle in Victor’s story; he becomes a character with his own emotional journey.
This approach also gives Elordi considerably more to explore as an actor. The performance has to communicate innocence, confusion, anger, loneliness and an emerging understanding of the world, often while his face is partially transformed by elaborate prosthetics.
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Guillermo del Toro Had a Very Specific Vision for the Creature
Guillermo del Toro has spent much of his career exploring monsters who exist between the beautiful and the frightening. His Frankenstein follows that tradition, presenting the Creature as an imposing but strangely elegant figure rather than reproducing a single familiar image from earlier Frankenstein movies.
Del Toro has also explained that the actor’s eyes were particularly important to his casting process. That became especially relevant with Elordi because the Creature’s appearance was designed to direct attention toward his eyes, allowing the audience to see the humanity beneath the physical transformation.
The result is a Creature who can look intimidating from a distance while remaining emotionally vulnerable when the camera moves closer. That contrast is one of the defining elements of the performance.
Why Jacob Elordi Was a Strong Choice for the Role
Before Frankenstein, Elordi had already demonstrated an ability to move between very different types of characters. His career included Euphoria, The Kissing Booth films, Priscilla, The Sweet East and Saltburn, giving him experience with characters who require very different physical and emotional approaches.
Del Toro was interested in more than Elordi’s physical presence. The director and prosthetics designer Mike Hill saw qualities in the actor’s face and eyes that could be incorporated into the Creature’s final appearance. Hill specifically worked with Elordi’s bone structure, eyes and other features when developing the prosthetic design.
That collaboration helped prevent the makeup from becoming a generic monster mask. Instead, the prosthetics were designed around the actor underneath them. Elordi remained recognizable in subtle ways, while the character acquired a completely different physical identity.
The Jacob Elordi Frankenstein Transformation Took Hours
Perhaps the most talked-about part of Elordi’s preparation was the sheer amount of time required to become the Creature. Netflix’s behind-the-scenes account describes a process that could take around 10 hours before the transformation was complete.
The process involved extensive makeup and prosthetics created by Mike Hill and his team. Rather than treating the makeup as a simple visual effect, del Toro wanted the transformation process itself to become part of the actor’s preparation for the role.
Elordi described those hours as a kind of ritual. By the time the process was finished, the actor who had arrived at the makeup chair had effectively disappeared beneath the work of the artists. What appeared on camera was a new physical character built around Elordi’s movement and performance.
Elordi Looked Beyond Traditional Frankenstein Performances
Elordi did not simply attempt to imitate earlier actors who had played Frankenstein’s Creature. His approach drew from unexpected sources, including butoh, a Japanese dance form, as well as observations of his own golden retriever.
The reference to his dog may sound unusual, but it reflects an important part of how Elordi approached the character. The Creature is essentially experiencing the world in a new way. His physical behavior therefore needed to communicate curiosity and innocence as well as power and aggression.
That physicality helps distinguish del Toro’s Creature from a conventional slow-moving monster. Elordi brings a dancer-like quality to the character, something del Toro himself highlighted when discussing the performance.
The Creature’s Eyes Become Central to the Performance
One of the cleverest elements of the design is how it preserves the expressive importance of Elordi’s eyes. Mike Hill explained that the prosthetics were shaped so that scars and other features directed attention toward the eyes, where the character’s humanity could still be seen.
This becomes particularly important because so much of Elordi’s recognizable appearance is intentionally hidden. The audience cannot rely on his usual facial expressions or even his familiar silhouette. Instead, the eyes become one of the primary ways to understand what the Creature is feeling.
It also reinforces one of the central ideas of the film: the difference between appearance and identity. The Creature may look frightening, but his emotional experience is much more complicated than his exterior suggests.
How Del Toro’s Frankenstein Differs From Familiar Versions
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been adapted for film and television many times, and popular culture has developed a very specific visual idea of Frankenstein’s monster. Del Toro deliberately takes a different path.
His Creature is connected to the filmmaker’s broader fascination with misunderstood beings. Rather than making the monster frightening simply because he is physically different, the film emphasizes the relationship between Victor and his creation and the emotional consequences of bringing another being into existence.
The movie also gives the Creature a distinctive visual history. Netflix’s trailer coverage explains that this version connects his origins to the Crimean War and bodies recovered from a battlefield, giving the character a particularly grim physical foundation.
Jacob Elordi’s Performance Goes Beyond the Makeup
It would be easy to focus entirely on the transformation because the finished appearance is so striking. However, the makeup alone does not explain why the performance works. Elordi still has to establish the Creature as an individual with thoughts, emotions and an evolving sense of identity.
The physical restrictions created by the prosthetics make that challenge even greater. Small movements, changes in posture and the direction of a gaze can become more important when much of the face is covered.
That is why the collaboration between Elordi, del Toro and the makeup team matters so much. The Creature was not created separately from the actor. The design, performance and direction were developed together.
What Makes Jacob Elordi’s Frankenstein Role Important to His Career
Frankenstein represents a significant step in Elordi’s career because it places him inside a major literary adaptation directed by one of contemporary cinema’s most distinctive filmmakers. Netflix officially announced his casting alongside Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Felix Kammerer in January 2024.
The role also demonstrates how far Elordi has moved beyond the teen-oriented projects that initially made him widely recognizable. His later work has increasingly involved demanding dramatic roles, and playing the Creature allows him to push that transformation further.
The response to the performance has also been significant. Netflix reported that Elordi and prosthetics designer Mike Hill received Academy Award nominations for their contributions to the film, while the movie itself received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Is Jacob Elordi’s Frankenstein Movie Available to Watch?
Yes. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was released in theaters in 2025 and is now available to stream on Netflix. The film stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the Creature and Mia Goth among the principal cast.
Netflix classifies the movie as a drama, science-fiction film, horror movie and period piece. The official listing also describes it as a visually striking story centered on Victor Frankenstein and the creature created through his ambition.
For viewers interested specifically in Elordi’s transformation, Netflix’s behind-the-scenes material is particularly useful because it provides insight into the prosthetics, preparation and performance choices behind the character.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein
Who does Jacob Elordi play in Frankenstein?
Jacob Elordi plays the Creature, the being created by Victor Frankenstein. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein.
Is Jacob Elordi Frankenstein’s monster?
Yes, in Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 film, Elordi portrays the Creature commonly known as Frankenstein’s monster. The movie uses the character’s own experiences and development as a major part of the story.
How long did Jacob Elordi’s Frankenstein makeup take?
Netflix’s behind-the-scenes coverage describes a transformation process that could take approximately 10 hours, involving extensive prosthetics and makeup.
Is Frankenstein with Jacob Elordi on Netflix?
Yes. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is available on Netflix, following its 2025 theatrical release.
Conclusion
Jacob Elordi’s role in Frankenstein is much more than a dramatic change in appearance. As the Creature, he works within Guillermo del Toro’s distinctive vision to portray a character caught between innocence, isolation, anger and a desire to understand his existence.
The extensive prosthetic transformation is certainly one of the movie’s most memorable technical achievements, but the performance underneath it is what gives the Creature emotional weight. From the careful focus on Elordi’s eyes to his unusual physical inspirations, every element was designed to make the character feel alive.
For anyone searching for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein, the essential answer is simple: he plays the Creature at the center of Guillermo del Toro’s ambitious adaptation. The role marks another significant evolution in Elordi’s career while offering a fresh interpretation of one of literature and cinema’s most enduring characters.
