Actor Jacob Elordi was hospitalized after sustaining a second-degree burn in an unusual accident while filming the new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights. The incident occurred during the shoot of the film directed by Emerald Fennell, who also collaborated with Elordi on the 2023 movie Saltburn.
Elordi stars as Heathcliff, with Margot Robbie portraying Catherine Earnshaw, in this much-anticipated adaptation. The accident took place at the house where the production is based, involving a steam shower fixture that unexpectedly caused the injury.
Details of the Accident and Context from Elordi’s Interview
In an interview with Esquire, Jacob Elordi described how the injury happened after he attempted to prove his commitment to the role by enduring physical hardship, inspired by the dedication of method actors like Daniel Day-Lewis. A make-up artist, Siân Miller, who was responsible for designing Heathcliff’s scars, jokingly suggested that Day-Lewis might have arrived on set already bearing wounds for the part.
“She challenged me: ‘If Daniel Day-Lewis was playing Heathcliff, he would have come in with scars,’”
Jacob Elordi recalled.
“I said, ‘Well I’m going to go away and maim myself on the weekend to prove to you that I’m Heathcliff!’ That night I went home, and the house I was staying in had a steam shower: a brass knob that steam came from out of the wall.”
Elordi explained that while cleaning his feet in the steam shower, he accidentally leaned back against the hot brass knob, which caused a painful burn.
“As Heathcliff, I was covered in mange and dirt, and I thought, ‘I’m not going to do that again, I’m going to clean my feet properly every night and come in to work fresh the next day.’ So I went to clean my feet, and I leant back and my back seared into the steam knob and I stood up screaming; it tore up my back. When I went to work on Monday I had a second-degree burn.”
Elordi also reflected on his past experience working on Frankenstein, where he had left make-up on his extremities throughout filming, emphasizing the contrast in his approach for this new role.
“The full story is that, when I was doing Frankenstein, I had so much make-up in my fingers and in my feet all the time, and I left it on for the whole shoot because I couldn’t be bothered washing it all off,”
he said.
Director Emerald Fennell Reacts to the Incident
Emerald Fennell shared her surprise upon learning about the accident. The report came via a message from the film’s producer, Josey McNamara, which initially caused concern.
“I think that was in the first week of shooting. I got a text from Josey McNamara, the producer, saying, ‘Jacob’s in hospital.’ Obviously I thought, ‘Oh my god, he’s had a car accident,’ and then he was like, ‘He’s burnt his back in the shower.’ I was like, ‘You know what, Josey? Start with that.’”
When asked if the injury felt in line with the intense dedication associated with Daniel Day-Lewis’s method acting, Elordi humorously responded:
“It was actual Daniel Day-Lewis. In the shower.”
Upcoming Release and Anticipation Surrounding the Film
Wuthering Heights, with Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw, is scheduled for release on February 13. The project marks another collaboration between Elordi and Fennell, following the mixed reception of Saltburn in 2023.
The injury and Elordi’s willingness to endure such physical hardship provide insight into the demanding nature of the production, reflecting the actor’s commitment to authentically portraying one of literature’s most intense characters. The accident has also raised concerns about safety on set, given the unexpected nature of the burn.
As the film’s release approaches, expectations remain high for this fresh interpretation of Brontë’s classic, with both Elordi and Robbie bringing experience and depth to their roles under Fennell’s direction.
