Shazad Latif has a stretched silicone replica of Margot Robbie’s skin framed on the wall of his house, which is a less freaky accoutrement when you realize they both made Wuthering Heights together, and it was a wrap gift from its director, Emerald Fennell. It was an object from his own home, after all: In the freaky, divisive, sensuous, Charli xcx-soundtracked new adaptation of the Emily Brontë novel, Latif plays Edgar Linton, the wealthy ruler of the wackily decorated Linton Estate. When his new wife Catherine, played by Robbie, moves in, he decorates her bedroom walls to match the color of her skin—veins, freckles, and all.
In the story, Linton is the man who wedges himself between Catherine and her pseudo-sibling-slash-lover, Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi). Only we all know how that goes. He is the sort of the cuck, too. As an actor, Latif is fine being in this temporary state of submission. He exerts his power in other projects instead. Since graduating from Bristol Old Vic Drama School, which counts Daniel Day-Lewis and Josh O’Connor as its alumni, he’s been a regular on shows like Penny Dreadful, Star Trek: Discovery, and the cult teen Brit hit My Mad Fat Diary.
But it was What’s Love Got to Do With It?, the 2022 rom-com he made with Lily James, that put him in Fennell’s sightline for Wuthering Heights, and now he’s gearing up to become a heartthrob in a massive movie. He’ll have never had more eyes on him than he will this coming weekend.
Douglas Greenwood: You have a personal connection to Wuthering Heights, right?
Shazad Latif: I do. The 1939 version was one of the VHS tapes my nan had in a wooden cabinet when I was growing up. She was an old movie buff, so we’d rewatch it. I’d known about Cathy and Heathcliff since I was a kid.
Unusually, you had a pep talk with Emerald before your audition, right?
Yeah! It came to me at a good time. When my agent got the call, I was quite depressed with the industry. I was having one of those days. I was supposed to go to my friend’s stag in Portugal that week, and I thought I could just send another tape, but apparently Emerald wanted me to come in person, so I rescheduled my flight. I got sent three major scenes, and my friend was staying at my house, so I didn’t want to practise in front of him. I remember getting a bottle of whiskey and a hotel room near the audition to prep.
I arrived, but it turned out the film’s casting director, Kharmel Cochrane, was running late. So Emerald and I just sat on the sofa and she explained to me what her vision was.
What questions were you asking yourself?
Well, I’m playing an English gent, but I didn’t want to be a caricature. There are elements of comedy to this part as well, so you want to find that balance. How am I going to be the fulcrum of this love triangle without being over the top? Some period dramas are a bit hard to ground in reality.
Did you get any direction from Emerald when it came to prep?
Emerald’s script is so singular it didn’t matter anyway, but I had read the book already, just to help me get into the zone. I listened to classical music and spoke to experts on loom work and velvet to understand the costumes.
Did you all hang out together?
I only had one day up at the Moors, and Margot and Jacob spent most of the day getting soaked in the rain. Alison and I were getting pissed at the pub! We went to the Hardraw Force waterfall, where they shotRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and went wild swimming. Jacob had his dog with him. It was really beautiful.
Who was your on-set MVP?
The costume team and my sound person! Those people are your rocks. They’re the ones that you’re talking to while getting ready. They’re the ones that are in your dressing room the most. They become your go-to. I gave them all T-shirts. If they were on my team, they were printed with “Husband of the Year,” and if they were on Jacob’s, they read “Cuckold of the Year”! Margot says she still has hers as her pajama top.
Emerald told you that Linton had to feel like a “credible threat” to Heathcliff. How does any man become a credible threat to Jacob Elordi?
It’s crazy. He’s 6’5”. When you hug him for the first time, your head is on his chest. He’s like a Greek statue, like Achilles, who’s also like a basketball player, with the soul of John Keats. But the point of Linton was that I wasn’t just a rich guy—my love was loyal. I thought I’d go the other way and make myself have a bit of neck fat and be a bit weird and quirky.
Is there a classic text you feel is ripe for reinterpretation?
I know we’re getting The Odyssey, but I think there’s room for us to do another take on Troy.
Would you ever play Heathcliff?
It’s up to the casting director or a studio! That’s a question for them. Not right away, anyway!
Do you have a favorite Charli xcx song?
“Track 10.” I listen to it while I’m cycling to the gym.
What did you take from the set?
I took some green silk pajamas.
Do you wear them?
In the deep depths of winter, yes. I also took some handmade slippers from the man who made Winston Churchill’s. And then a bit of the skin from the wall of Cathy’s room. I did want to take one of the tortoise statues from my room, but it turned out they were £50,000 each.
FOUR MOSTLY IRRELEVANT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR SHAZAD LATIF
What movie comes to mind when I say the word “plastic”?
The Substance.
What smell reminds you of home?
My friend’s got a little cottage up in Norfolk. I feel good whenever I smell the plants and trees there in the summer. Also, my aunt’s curry. That reminds me of my childhood.
Is there a book you’re embarrassed to say you’ve never read?
War and Peace.
What’s something tricky that you’re really good at?
I can do 100 kick-ups quite easily, and I’m really good at table tennis.