• Jacob Elordi has revealed he was going to ‘take a break’ from acting before picking up his role in Wuthering Heights
  • The actor will star as Heathcliff in the new adaptation 
  • Fans took to social media to say he ‘should have ignored Emerald Fennell’s text’  
Jacob Elordi plays Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights
Jacob Elordi plays Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights Credit: Imago

The new adaptation of Wuthering Heights has – so far – been met with much controversy. 

In September, it was announced that Jacob Elordi would take on the role of Heathcliff. 

But fans were disappointed by Elordi’s appointment – as the character in the novel is described as a “dark-skinned gypsy” and the Euphoria star, 27, is white. 

And now, it appears that it’s a miracle Elordi has been cast at all – as he was actually planning to “take a break” from acting

“I was really lucky,” Elordi told IndieWire. “I was going to take a break for a while, and then [director] Emerald [Fennell] just very simply texted me, and you can’t run from that text.”

Jacob Elordi ‘should have blocked Emerald Fennell’s number!’  

Jacob Elordi plays Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights
Jacob Elordi plays Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights Credit: Imago

After Elordi’s comments, fans of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel were once more in uproar.  

“You can run from that text, and you almost certainly should have,” wrote one on social media. Another added, “Except you can run from that text tho. You should’ve ran…”

Others urged “you can decline”, and told Elordi that he “should have taken the time off”.

“But well…….. he should, considering that her request was a little nonsense,” someone else said, adding that producer Margot Robbie – who will also star as Cathy Earnshaw in the movie – should be kept out of the casting decision. “Y’all better not blame this on Margot tho.”

As others joked Elordi “should have blocked Emerald Fennell’s number” – “if Emerald Fennell is texting you, RUN,” they laughed – someone else weighed in on the subject of Heathcliff’s race. 

“Maybe he should have run from that text so that the role could have been given to a person of color and stopped the white washing of Heathcliff,” they wrote. 

Fans confused why Jacob Elordi ‘wants to take a break’

Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi in Priscilla
Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi in Priscilla Credit: Imago/Landmark Media

Some fans were also confused by Elordi’s decision to want to “take a break” so early in his career.

“Take a break? You just started!” said one. 

Another added, “How are these kids taking acting breaks after doing four films in their career like stop taking things for granted like that. Give me a break.”

And while others praised the actor’s previous projects, they still couldn’t understand why he wanted time out of his busy career. 

“Bro hasn’t even been acting for about a decade and already was planning on retiring,” they said. “Despite the fact that most of the time he’s gotten good roles: was in Priscilla, On Swift Horses, a new stuff in Prime now, worked with Zachary Quinto, del Toro etc. He is being too dramatic.”

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Sophie Cockerham
Sophie Cockerham is a freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience. Her writing can be seen across titles such as Grazia, The Mail on Sunday, Femail, Metro, Stylist, RadioTimes.com, HuffPost, and the LadBible Group. Before starting her career, Sophie attended the University of Liverpool, where she studied English Language and Literature, before gaining her MA in Journalism on the NCTJ-accredited course at the University of Sheffield.