Wuthering Heights: The Hidden Roles Behind Emerald Fennell’s Visual Magic
In the running tally of the quirkiest interview questions, Bo Ponomari’s has a standout edge. "Do you have a hairy back?" asks the Ukranian actor and body double, who previously worked with Pedro Pascal in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and later landed the role as Elordi’s stand-in for Wuthering Heights.
Despite being nine inches shorter than the film’s towering lead, producers deemed Ponomari’s physique close enough to double for the star. He recalls spending about an hour in makeup, his back marked with prosthetic scars that director Fennell meticulously checked for continuity with the actor’s real back.
On set, his job involved assisting the camera crew with test shots for angles and lighting, and offering alternative takes when Elordi was busy with other scenes. Yet, even he isn’t sure whether the back viewers see in the final cut is his or someone else’s.
Ponomari explains that the final product is often a blend: some scenes feature the principal actor, others showcase a stunt performer or a body double. He describes how large productions split work into a first unit and a second unit.
"First unit handles the actor’s crucial moments—dialogue, close-ups, and emotional beats—while the second unit tackles stunts or material that doesn’t require the star present. That’s where body doubles, hand doubles, and back doubles come into play."
This approach helps crews stay on schedule and control costs. Doubles aren’t just about disguise; they also accommodate personal or religious reasons some actors have for not performing certain shots. Ponomari notes, “You have a division of people—actors and doubles—who are willing to step in.”
But the surprises on Wuthering Heights don’t end with Ponomari. Lucy London, 25, served as a stand-in for a 14-year-old during filming because child-work regulations limit how long young actors can work and because she stands at 5 feet tall. She stepped in for young Cathy, portrayed by teenager Charlotte Mellington.
London finds stepping into a younger role liberating. “As adults, we overthink how we come across and how others perceive us. Children don’t do that as much, and that can be a lot of fun,” she says. For her, being an adult can feel tedious, so acting as a child on a set offers a playful escape—“a win-win situation, really.”
Stunt performers often carry the heavier risk, stepping in for dangerous moments that could injure a lead. Nikita Mitchell, who previously worked with Margot Robbie on Barbie, served as a stand-in on Wuthering Heights and notes that doubles may train for weeks to perfectly mirror a star’s movement.
Mitchell praises Robbie’s bravery for doing her own stunts, though she also stepped in for riskier moments to ensure the actress’s safety. She recalls occasions where Cathy teeters on a cliff edge or is thrown into a tree, requiring harnesses and pre-shot testing to minimize danger.
There was even a moment when Mitchell took a fall herself—an eight to ten-foot drop—so Robbie could perform the scene with minimal risk. Mitchell has handled much higher cliff drops on wires in the past, but she still views the work as part of the trade.
Like Ponomari, Mitchell notes it can be disappointing when audiences never see a scene a double worked on, but accepts it as part of the filmmaking process. Regardless of whether their work appears on screen, stunt performers and doubles are paid for their time, typically on a daily basis, as an essential component of production.
What do you think about the use of doubles and stand-ins in modern filmmaking? Do you believe this practice enhances a film’s safety and efficiency, or do it raise concerns about authenticity and recognition for the performers who don’t always get screen credit?
