Jacob Elordi showed up to the Frankenstein premiere looking gaunt, and everyone immediately knew something was wrong. His co-star Mia Goth later confirmed he’d pushed his body too far preparing for Guillermo del Toro’s gothic horror.
Jacob Elordi Frankenstein required the actor to portray Victor Frankenstein as a man consumed by obsession to the point of physical deterioration. Elordi lost 40 pounds over four months, dropping from his usual 195 to 155 on his 6’5″ frame.
“I was in such pain by the end,” Elordi admitted during press. “My body was eating itself. I couldn’t sleep properly because everything hurt.”
Kevin Winter/Getty;Ken Woroner/Netflix. Jacob Elordi on Oct. 6, 2025(left); Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein
Del Toro apparently didn’t request this extreme transformation. Elordi made the choice independently, believing Victor’s mental breakdown needed physical manifestation. The director only learned how severe the weight loss was when Elordi arrived for costume fittings looking skeletal.
Medical Intervention
Production sources reveal Elordi required IV nutrients during the final weeks of shooting because he’d become too weak to maintain energy through food alone. A doctor stayed on set monitoring his vitals after he nearly fainted during a particularly physical scene.
“We almost shut down production,” del Toro said. “Jacob’s commitment was admirable but dangerous. I never want an actor sacrificing their health for my vision.”
The Jacob Elordi Frankenstein weight loss mirrors disturbing Hollywood trends of extreme physical transformations being praised as dedication rather than questioned as harmful. Christian Bale’s The Machinist, Jared Leto’s Dallas Buyers Club, and Matthew McConaughey’s similar transformation all received awards attention while potentially encouraging unhealthy behavior.
Recovery Process
Elordi spent three months after filming working with nutritionists to safely regain weight. He reportedly struggled with disordered eating patterns that developed during his crash diet, requiring therapy to overcome.
“I wouldn’t do it again,” he stated bluntly. “The performance isn’t worth permanent health damage.”
His honesty about the negative effects contrasts with typical actor interviews that glorify extreme transformations. Elordi’s willingness to admit he made a mistake could influence how future performers approach physically demanding roles.
Performance Impact
Despite the concerning process, early Frankenstein footage suggests Elordi delivers career-best work. His hollow-eyed intensity and trembling physicality make Victor’s descent into madness visceral and disturbing.
Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, with Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz.
Del Toro praised Elordi’s performance while regretting he didn’t intervene sooner. “Jacob gave me exactly what the character needed,” the director acknowledged. “But I should have protected him from himself.”
The Jacob Elordi Frankenstein situation highlights the need for better on-set protocols protecting actors from dangerous choices. Some productions now include mandatory health monitoring for roles requiring significant physical changes.
Industry Response
Several actors and directors spoke out after Elordi’s comments, calling for industry-wide standards limiting extreme transformations. Oscar Isaac suggested requiring medical supervision for any role demanding weight changes beyond 15 pounds.
The conversation matters because young actors often feel pressure to prove dedication through physical suffering. Elordi’s fame and candor give him platform to challenge this toxic pattern.
Frankenstein releases in October, and Jacob Elordi Frankenstein will undoubtedly dominate awards conversation. But hopefully the discourse includes how actors achieve performances without destroying their bodies in the process.
