Margot Robbie Admits a Strong Emotional Dependence on Jacob Elordi

NEED TO KNOW

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have become close onscreen and off. 

Wuthering Heights, director Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, stars the actors as chaotic would-be lovers Catherine and Heathcliff. In a new cast interview with Fandango, Robbie, 35, reflected on collaborating with her fellow Australian star. 

“I’m so codependent with people I work with and I love everyone so much and I’m always that person who’s so devastated when a job’s over and I never want it to end,” said the Oscar nominee. “I think I developed that quite quickly with Jacob too.”

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Robbie then recalled how Elordi, 28, hovered nearby as she worked on set — not unlike the lurking Heathcliff. “I don’t know if Emerald told you to do this or you did this,” she said, addressing the Frankenstein star, “but I remember the first couple days on set, he would just be always in the vicinity where I was, but like in a corner, watching Cathy.”

“I didn’t tell him to do that,” quipped Fennell, 40, as the cast laughed. “I actually had to ask him to leave.”

By the third day of filming, continued Robbie, “I found myself starting to look around to see where he was.” When it turned out Elordi wasn’t watching, “I was really unnerved and unmoored. And I felt quite lost, like a kid without their blanket or something.”

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“We have a mutual obsession,” agreed Elordi. “If you have the opportunity to share a film set with Margot Robbie, you’re going to make sure you’re within 5 to 10 meters at all times, watching how she drinks tea, how she eats her food. … She’s just like an elite actor.”

Wuthering Heights, costarring Shazad Latif, Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, Charlotte Mellington and Owen Cooper, is co-produced by Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment, the same company behind 2023’s Barbie and Saltburn. The actress-producer works alongside husband Tom Ackerley (who she welcomed a baby boy with in October 2024). Speaking with Fandango, Elordi and the cast also recalled filming in the English countryside, even playing Kate Bush’s song “Wuthering Heights” on the Moors to get in the spirit. 

“It was this really sort of profound thing, being Heathcliff and Cathy,” said the actor, “watching the sunset on the Moors as the spirit of [these] characters have for the last 200 years. You can almost imagine that the spirit of this love that Brontë created is floating around there. It really did feel like we were catching little pieces of that unrequited love.

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi appear as doomed lovers in Saltburn director Emerald Fennell’s interpretation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel Wuthering Heights — and they seemingly had a great time on set. The upcoming Wuthering Heights has already raised eyebrows for its steamy trailer, period-inaccurate costume choices and moody Charli xcx soundtrack, and now, the Barbie actress, who produces the film and also portrays Catherine Earnshaw, and the Euphoria actor, who plays her adoptive brother/lover Heathcliff, are gushing over one another on their press tour.

Wuthering Heights hits theaters on Feb. 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day, meaning that Robbie and Elordi likely have more press to do ahead of the film’s release. Here’s what these two have said so far about working on Wuthering Heights together.

Elordi watched Robbie on set, just like Heathcliff did with Cathy

Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie.

Heathcliff is one of literature’s most famous lurkers, and on set, and in an interview with Fandango earlier in January, Robbie said that Elordi really got into the role by always being nearby.

“I don’t know if Emerald told you to do this or you did this,” Robbie told Elordi, referring to the film’s director, “but I remember the first couple days on set, he would just be like always in the vicinity where I was, but like in a corner, watching Cathy.

“I remember on day one I was like, I thought, ‘Oh, he’s right there.’ And then an hour later I’m like, ‘Oh, he’s over there, like he’s there,’” she continued. “And then on the third day, I remember I found myself starting to look around to see where he was. Obviously, he’s going to be somewhere close by. Where is he right now? Because he’s not in a corner of a room watching me right now. And then, he wasn’t. And, I was really unnerved, and unmoored, and I felt quite like lost like a kid without their blanket or something.”

Read more from Yahoo: Director Emerald Fennell explains why “Wuthering Heights” has quotation marks around the title

Elordi watched Robbie on set, just like Heathcliff did with Cathy

Heathcliff is one of literature’s most famous lurkers, and on set, and in an interview with Fandango earlier in January, Robbie said that Elordi really got into the role by always being nearby.

Elordi says the two had a ‘mutual obsession’ with each other

In that same Fandango interview, Elordi explained why he watched Robbie so closely on set.

“We have a mutual obsession,” he said. “I think the thing is, 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 5 to 10 meters at all times.

“Watching how she drinks tea, how she eats her food, how she does it. When is it going to slip? When is the thing going to come undone? And it never comes undone,” he continued. “She’s just like an elite actor and she’s producing the movie, you know? So I don’t know how somebody has the skill and the wisdom to do that as a performer and to give the performance that she gave, but I was enamored by her.”

Elordi said the two really felt like they were part of the love story 

Elordi also told Fandango that the two actors really became one with their roles.

There’d be a moment where we’d be running hand in hand through the moors, maybe not even in the scene, just setting it up, where I’d look across at her and she’d be looking at me and you really realized you were looking at Catherine and she was looking at Heathcliff. And in that moment, we really were a part of their love, for real,” he explained. “There were a few moments like that.

Elordi added, “You can almost imagine that the spirit of this love that Brontë created is sort of floating around there. It really did feel like we were catching little pieces of that unrequited love.”

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Myths vs Facts

Myth: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s on-set closeness indicates a real-life romance.
Fact: The actors’ emotional dependence reflects professional chemistry and dedication to their roles, not a romantic relationship. Both are committed to their craft and the film’s portrayal of Catherine and Heathcliff.

Myth: Codependent behavior is unprofessional.
Fact: For Robbie, becoming emotionally invested in co-stars is part of her acting process, enhancing the authenticity of her performances.

Myth: Jacob Elordi followed Robbie intentionally for publicity
Fact: Elordi stated it was out of professional admiration and learning from her acting process.

Myth: Their chemistry is exaggerated by PR
Fact: Multiple cast interviews and behind-the-scenes moments confirm the genuine connection developed during filming.

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Final Thought

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s strong bond exemplifies how deep creative collaboration can translate into unforgettable performances. Their dedication promises a powerful and emotionally rich adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

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