Oscar Isaac’s Laugh Says It All: How Modest Was Jacob Elordi’s Frankenstein Paycheck?

Oscar Isaac, Guillermo del Toro, and Jacob Elordi just did the kind of promo bit where everyone is laughing but you can tell there were some long days behind it. It all started when Isaac saw Elordi in full Creature prosthetics for del Toro's Frankenstein and immediately lost it. Not because it looked bad, but because it looked like pure misery to wear.

The moment that set them off

During a press chat for the film, Isaac admitted he cracked up as soon as he saw Elordi in full makeup. Elordi joked that Isaac probably thought he looked like a fool. Del Toro piled on by saying Elordi should have asked for more money, and Isaac even blurted that he briefly felt like it was going to be a disaster. All delivered with a grin, all very much in-joke energy from a team that clearly clicked.

"I just started laughing... 'Idiot, what a fool! He should've asked for more money!'"

It plays like good-natured ribbing, and it tracks once you hear what Elordi actually went through to become the Creature.

So... what did Elordi actually make?

There is no official number out there for Elordi's Frankenstein paycheck. What exists are whispers and rough guesses based on his recent work and the project's scale:

- For Euphoria, reports have his per-episode rate anywhere from about $150,000 up to $1 million, depending on season and negotiation (via The Richest).
- Saltburn was reportedly around $320,000.
- Priscilla landed him around $500,000, which has been described as his biggest check pre-Frank.

Now factor in that Frankenstein reportedly carries a $120 million budget (via Variety) and that Netflix tends to pay up for marquee projects. The educated guess floating around: he likely landed somewhere in the $500,000 to $1 million range for the Creature. Emphasis on likely. Nobody involved is confirming a number.

Was that paycheck worth the pain?

If you value time and discomfort, you could argue no. Elordi's transformation was brutal by any standard. He was in the chair about 10 hours a day, fitted with 42 prosthetic pieces total, with 14 just on his head and neck (via Variety). It took a team of eight to apply everything, and he went through the full process almost 50 times. Do the math: around 500 hours just getting it all on, not counting the hours actually working in it.

He also dropped weight for the role (via Los Angeles Times) and said the whole experience left him in "such pain." So when Isaac and del Toro joke about him needing to ask for more money, you get it. This is the kind of role you take for the collaboration and the career swing, not for the comfort.

Quick rundown

• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Main cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer
• Runtime: 2h 29m
• Budget: $120 million (Variety)
• Current Rotten Tomatoes: 86% critics, 95% audience
• Release: In limited theaters now; streaming on Netflix November 7, 2025 (USA). Theatrical date was October 17, 2025.

Bottom line: If those mid-six to low-seven–figure estimates are close, Elordi probably could have made similar money doing something far less punishing. Whether that means he was underpaid is debatable, but I would not argue against a prosthetics tax on that check. What do you think he should have gotten for 500 hours in the chair?