Hollywood star Jacob Elordi has recounted a terrifying on-set incident that saw him rushed to hospital with serious injuries during the filming of his latest cinematic venture. The 28-year-old actor, who takes on the iconic role of Heathcliff in the forthcoming romantic drama Wuthering Heights, suffered second-degree burns in a freak shower accident that temporarily halted production.
A Costly Joke Leads to Real Injury
In a revealing new interview with Esquire magazine, Elordi detailed how what began as a lighthearted exchange with the film's makeup artist escalated into a painful reality. Siãn Miller, while designing whip scar prosthetics for his character, jokingly suggested method acting, quipping that Daniel Day-Lewis would have arrived with genuine scars. Elordi responded in jest, declaring he would "go away and maim myself on the weekend to prove to you that I'm Heathcliff!"
Tragically, that very evening, the actor encountered a serious accident in his temporary accommodation. "The house I was staying in had a steam shower: a brass knob that steam came from out of the wall," he explained. Determined to avoid a repeat of a previous filming experience where he was perpetually coated in makeup, Elordi was meticulously cleaning his feet when he leaned back. "My back seared into the steam knob and I stood up screaming; it tore up my back," he recalled. The injury resulted in a significant second-degree burn.
Production Panic and Recovery
The incident caused considerable alarm on set. Director Emerald Fennell received a distressing text message simply stating, "Jacob's in the hospital." Her immediate fear was a car accident, only to learn the shocking truth: her lead actor had scalded his back in a domestic shower mishap. The injury required immediate medical attention, inevitably causing disruption to the tightly scheduled shoot.
Elordi presented himself for work the following Monday bearing the painful burn, a stark contrast to the fictional scars his makeup team had been crafting. The actor is currently in the midst of a busy promotional period for two major films: Wuthering Heights and a separate project, Frankenstein.
Box Office Expectations Soar
Despite the production hiccup, anticipation for Wuthering Heights is building significantly. The film, loosely inspired by Emily Brontë's timeless 1847 novel, is scheduled for release on February 13th. Industry analysts report robust pre-sales, with projections suggesting a domestic opening weekend haul of between $30 million and $35 million.
If these figures materialise, the film would represent the largest box office opener of Jacob Elordi's career to date. Furthermore, it would mark a major commercial success for his co-star, Margot Robbie, serving as her first significant hit since the global phenomenon that was 2023's Barbie. That blockbuster, in which Fennell also had a minor role, famously boasted a marketing budget alone of $150 million.
The full interview, featuring further details on Elordi's recovery and his experiences on both film sets, is published in the March/April issue of Esquire UK, available from February 18th.
