Pedro Almodóvar questions Jacob Elordi's acting abilities

Pedro Almodóvar questioned Jacob Elordi's acting abilities, wondering whether his rise to fame stems from his status as a "sex symbol" rather than a professional. The Oscar-winning director shared his thoughts during an appearance on the podcast La Pija y la Quinqui.

During the conversation, 76-year-old Almodóvar acknowledged that 28-year-old Elordi's star status is "real," but some of the projects he's been involved in have led the director to question whether the actor's popularity is solely based on his abilities. "I see that Jacob Elordi's fame is real, but I still wonder if he's a sex symbol or a respected actor," the director said.

He called the film "Wuthering Heights," in which Elordi recently starred, "very bad," but noted that neither the actor nor his co-star Margot Robbie were to blame for his dislike of the film. "They did what they could," Almodóvar explained.

He also discussed Elordi's role in Frankenstein (for which he received his first Oscar nomination), noting that Guillermo del Toro's interpretation portrays Frankenstein's monster in a different, more appealing light. "In Frankenstein, the traditionally ugly, even horrific monster is fetishized," he noted.

Almodóvar hinted that he cannot yet rate Elordi's professionalism highly. "We still need to see him, at least for me, in another role that will require more from him," the director concluded.

Elordi recently starred in the third season of the series "Euphoria," which made him famous (and which was already criticized after the first episodes of the sequel aired). He also previously starred in the films "Priscilla" (2023) and "Saltburn" (2023). The actor will soon play the lead role in Ridley Scott's "Dog Stars."

Frankenstein not only earned Elordi his first Academy Award nomination, but also a Golden Globe nomination and a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty ImagesPablo Cuadra/Getty ImagesStill from the film "Wuthering Heights"Still from the TV series "Euphoria"