Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie shared a profound and intense connection while shooting Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, Wuthering Heights. The film, which released on February 13, explores the tragic and passionate relationship between Elordi’s Heathcliff and Robbie’s Catherine Earnshaw, set against the backdrop of the 18th century. Their powerful chemistry was evident both in their portrayals and in their interactions off-camera, highlighting the emotional depth required for the roles.
Actors’ Admitted Dependence and Mutual Obsession
In interviews before the release, the Australian stars revealed a rapidly developing bond during filming. Robbie explained feeling a strong need to be near Elordi, describing an early sense of codependency that surprised her.
“I remember the first couple days on set, he would just be like, always in the vicinity of where I was, but in a corner watching. On the third day, I found myself starting to look around to see where he was. I was like, ‘Well, obviously he’s going to be somewhere close by. Where is he right now?’”
Robbie said.
Her dependence soon became more palpable.
“I felt quite lost. Like a kid without their blanket or something. I was like, ‘Where is he?’”
she added, showcasing how deeply intertwined their presence had become during production.
Elordi acknowledged a shared obsession between them. He detailed their close proximity at all times, remarking,
“Regardless of plot or screenplay, if you have the opportunity to share a film set with Margot Robbie, you’re going to make sure you’re within five to 10 all the time. Watching how she drinks tea, how she eats her food,”
demonstrating his admiration for Robbie’s every move on set.
Director’s Unique Approach to Building Chemistry
Emerald Fennell intentionally cultivated this intense connection, going beyond conventional techniques to help the actors bond. According to Robbie, the director created distinctive “shrines” in each actor’s dressing room, filled with personal mementos symbolizing their counterparts.
“At the studio, we both had a dressing room. Emerald went into our dressing rooms and made a shrine of each other in our dressing rooms,”
Robbie recalled.
Elordi joined in the conversation, finding the shrines both amusing and creative.
“It was so unhinged and so hilarious,”
Robbie continued.
“And she put, like, locks of hair and pictures of us, candles and made a full shrine… Mine was a Jacob shrine. He had a Margot shrine. It was so funny.”
This unusual tactic reinforced their connection, blending humor with intimacy, which likely enhanced their onscreen performances.
Elordi’s Long-Standing Admiration for Robbie
The affection and fascination Elordi expressed for Robbie was not a recent development. In an interview on the Today Show on January 30, he revealed that his admiration dated back to her early roles on Australian television.
“I wanted to act, so I had a hit list of every working Australian actor on my wall so I could find their agents and things that they’d been in,”
Elordi explained.
His perception of Robbie evolved significantly after viewing her performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, recognizing her as a global star.
“You came out in that film and something changed in the world, in my world,”
Elordi told Robbie, highlighting the lasting impression she left on him well before their collaboration.
Symbolic Tokens Celebrating Their Bond
Ahead of their extensive promotional tour, Robbie demonstrated the depth of their connection by presenting Elordi with a custom-made matching ring crafted by Cece Jewellery. Designer Cece Fein-Hughes described the request as exceptionally meaningful.
“It was such a special request to create these matching rings, not only to honour ‘Wuthering Heights,’ but also the characters and the time Margot and Jacob spent together bringing the film to life,”
she told Fox News Digital.
Fein-Hughes emphasized that the rings offered insight into how deeply two actors could bond through a shared project.
“Margot gifting this to Jacob offered such a beautiful insight into how deeply connected you can become when working together on something so powerful and romantic,”
she said.
The rings are chunky gold signet pieces featuring hand-enamelled skulls locked in an embrace amid thorns, symbolizing both the painful passion and natural hardships depicted in the story. An inscription on the rings quotes one of Brontë’s most memorable lines:
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
The dates 1847 to 2026 are also engraved, representing the original novel’s publication year and the movie release year respectively.
Enduring Impact and Anticipated Reception
The overwhelming intensity between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, nurtured by Emerald Fennell’s unique directing methods and symbolized through meaningful keepsakes, enriches the already haunting narrative of Wuthering Heights. Their connection lends authenticity to a story centered on love’s destructive power, suggesting audiences may experience a deeply immersive portrayal of the novel’s enduring themes. As the film continues its run in theaters, the chemistry they built off-screen is likely to draw attention and spark renewed interest in Emily Brontë’s timeless work.
