Jacob Elordi Talks Perfecting His Northern Accent For Wuthering Heights

Jacob Elordi has shed some light on how he tackled the Yorkshire accent for the controversial new Wuthering Heights film. 

Among accusations of whitewashing and test audiences’ shock at a reported opening mid-execution ejaculation scene, the fact that the film’s two leads – Jacob and Margot Robbie – are both Australian has been less talked about. 

However, when the trailer – and, later, a full clip – dropped for Saltburn director Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Bronte’s classic novel, we got a preview of Jacob’s take on the Northern English accent.

Speaking to the BBC, the actor has now revealed how he tackled the notoriously tricky task.

“I just practise it in the bath, over and over and over and over,” he said. “I like the ‘meks’ and the ‘teks’, instead of ‘take’. I like the ‘M-E-K’, ‘T-E-K’.”

Generally speaking, fans’ reactions to Jacob’s accent has been positive, with many putting their aspersions about Emerald’s take on Wuthering Heights aside to praise how he “nailed it”.

Meanwhile Margot – who plays heroine Catherine in the film – hasn’t gone for the northern accent for the film, instead adopting something closer to received pronunciation English. 

Emerald has previously spoken about adding her own stamp to the gothic story, and her choice to include quotation marks around the film’s title.

“I knew right from the get-go, I couldn’t ever hope to make anything that could even encompass the greatness of this book,” she said. 

“All I could do was… I don’t know… make a movie that made me feel the way the book made me feel. And so, therefore, it just felt right to say it’s Wuthering Heights… and it isn’t! You know?”

The director isn’t shy about provoking a strong reaction with her work, with Saltburn becoming a huge cultural moment thanks in part to scenes like Barry Keoghan’s bathtub moment. 

Equally, her directorial debut Promising Young Woman picked up a slew of awards for its smart, feminist take on rape culture and supposed “nice guys” in the wake of the Me Too movement.

Wuthering Heights arrives in cinemas on Friday 13 February, just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend.