Jacob Elordi’s remarkable transformation into the Creature in Frankenstein earned him and the team a win at the 98th Academy Awards, taking home the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar. Makeup and prosthetics artist Mike Hill accepted the award at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night.
The painstaking process behind Elordi’s transformation required extraordinary dedication from both the actor and the makeup team. Elordi, 28, endured ten-hour daily makeup sessions, standing for four to five hours as prosthetics were applied. The process was repeated 56 times during the shoot.
Behind the Scenes: The Transformation Process
Hill spoke to the press about the experience, highlighting the intense demands placed on Elordi. His colleague, Jordan Samuel, clarified, “That was 10 hours in makeup, but for four or five of those hours, Jacob stood like this and had the makeup applied. He was not sitting in a chair and relaxing.”
Hill recalled preparing for tension during the process. “When I first met Jacob, I said, ‘Look, you’re going to hate me at 2:00 a.m. and I’m going to hate you for hating me, but we’ve got a movie to do.’” He added, “We didn’t hate. He’s the nicest man on the planet. Ten hours a day, 56 times, and the man didn’t complain even once. Now we’re good mates.”
Director Guillermo del Toro echoed the sentiment, praising Elordi’s professionalism: “Never once did he come to me and complain. Never once did he say, ‘I’m tired. I’m hungry. Can I go?’ And he put in 20-hour days.”
Creative Vision Behind the Creature
Mike Hill also shared insight into the creative approach for the Creature’s design. He deliberately avoided past interpretations of Frankenstein, opting to develop a completely fresh look that matched del Toro’s cinematic vision.
The Oscar win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling reflects both the team’s technical expertise and Elordi’s unmatched dedication, cementing the actor’s status as a rising star in Hollywood.