Hong Chau opens up on Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, playing Nelly Dean and working with Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi

Hong Chau has shared insights into her role as Nelly Dean in Wuthering Heights, the upcoming period romantic drama written and directed by Emerald Fennell. Loosely inspired by Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, the film stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, with Chau playing a key emotional anchor in the story.

Hong Chau opens up on Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, playing Nelly Dean and working with Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi

Hong Chau opens up on Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, playing Nelly Dean and working with Margot Robbie & Jacob ElordiSpeaking about her preparation, Chau revealed that she took an unconventional approach to the adaptation. “I’ve done several projects that have been adaptations of novels or a play or a graphic novel, and I was always a good, studious, hard worker and did my homework and read the book. And it never seemed to really help me,” she said, adding that what ultimately drew her to the project was Fennell’s vision. “I just loved being immersed in her world and her vision.”

On Nelly’s role in this version, Chau explained that the character functions differently from traditional interpretations. “Nelly is Cathy’s companion in Emerald’s version. They have grown up together as young children and they’re very close, almost like sisters,” she said, noting that this bond is disrupted with Heathcliff’s arrival. According to Chau, “I think Cathy is always in Nelly’s heart, and is the person that she cares about the most.”

Describing Catherine Earnshaw, Chau said, “Cathy is a brat, she’s a spitfire, she’s funny, she’s highly emotional, but also incredibly passionate and caring.” She added that as a tragic love story unfolds, it becomes difficult for Nelly to remain a bystander. “She’s ahead of everyone, I think. She’s just a little bit more clear-headed.”

Chau also spoke about Margot Robbie’s presence on set, both in front of and behind the camera. “Margot Robbie is a force of nature. She makes very difficult things look incredibly easy,” she said, adding that audiences will see “the really tender and vulnerable side of her” in this role.

On Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff, Chau highlighted the contrast between character and performer. “His character does very brutal things in the film, but at the same time, to have an actor like Jacob embodying this type of character is very interesting, because Jacob has an innate gentleness to him,” she said, calling the casting an “interesting alchemy.”

Reflecting on the film’s visual world, Chau praised the craft behind it, from the contrasting sets of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange to the work of production designer Suzie Davies, costume designer Jacqueline Durran and cinematographer Linus Sandgren. “Scenes that you wouldn’t think should be so beautiful, just are,” she said.

Wuthering Heights is set for a 2026 release and also stars Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes and Ewan Mitchell.

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