Oscar Isaac Revives Frankenstein Through a Taoist, Latin American Lens
Oscar Isaac revealed a surprising and deeply emotional journey to his role as Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro‘s upcoming adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. The project began with an unexpected proposition from del Toro, who simply told Isaac, “you need to play Victor.” Initially skeptical – questioning if del Toro was experiencing a medical event or employing a unique approach to casting – Isaac’s reservations dissolved as del Toro began developing the script over the following year.
Del Toro gifted Isaac both Shelley’s frankenstein and the Tao Te Ching as foundational texts for the role, emphasizing a philosophical approach to the story. Isaac recounted a pivotal moment reading the completed script, particularly the ending, which focuses on forgiveness and moving forward after heartbreak, resulting in tears for both himself and del Toro.
Isaac described del Toro as a “Taoist filmmaker,” noting the director’s tendency toward a “God’s-eye view” of reality and a belief in an underlying “loving universe” even amidst pain. this outlook informed del Toro’s take on the archetypal Frankenstein narrative, delving into “Jungian type of shadow psyches.”
The production itself was characterized by joy and lightness, despite the dark subject matter. Isaac shared that del Toro frequently directed him “in dirty jokes” and they communicated primarily in Spanish. he further explained the project as an “emotional Mexican melodrama” and a “very European story told in an extremely Latin point of view,” highlighting the deliberate inclusion of his full name – Oscar Isaac Hernández – as a key element of the character.
isaac also discussed his acting process, describing himself as “gullible” and driven by a need to “believe” in the story, a tendency he traced back to a religiously-rooted upbringing.
