Jacob Elordi ignored his mother to take on Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’

Jacob Elordi has revealed that a childhood warning from his mother nearly stopped him from working with acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro on Frankenstein, a film that has since emerged as a major awards contender.

Speaking at a public event at BFI IMAX, Elordi recalled being unsettled as a child after seeing the DVD cover of del Toro’s 2006 film Pan’s Labyrinth. “I saw the Pale Man and I remember thinking, what is that,” he said, according to Variety. Despite being allowed to watch the film under parental supervision, Elordi said his mother delivered a clear instruction: “She said you must never work with this man.”

The anecdote drew a dry response from del Toro himself. “It’s good to disobey one’s mother,” the director quipped.

Elordi went on to play the Creature in del Toro’s Frankenstein, released on October 17, 2025. The film has received nine nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Elordi, marking a significant milestone in the actor’s career beyond his breakout role in Euphoria.

Originally, the role was set to be played by Andrew Garfield, who exited the project due to scheduling conflicts. Elordi said he felt immediate certainty when he read the script. “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,” he said.

The film also stars Mia Goth and Oscar Isaac, and centres on a brilliant but egotistical scientist whose experiment brings a monstrous creation to life. For Elordi, the project proved that ignoring one early warning paid off — spectacularly.