Margo Robbie & Jacob Elordi: Press Tour ‘Chemistry’ & the Attention Economy

Margo Robbie and Jacob Elordi are being criticised for acting too close during the *Wuthering Heights* press tour, but they’re simply responding to the incentives of today’s attention economy.

<h2>The Calculated Chemistry of Modern Movie Marketing</h2>
<p><em>Actors are increasingly blurring the lines between their public personas and their on-screen characters to generate buzz.</em></p>

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        <li>The practice of strategically cultivating off-screen romances for publicity isn’t new, dating back to Hollywood’s Golden Age.</li>
        <li>Today’s actors are extending the world of their films beyond the screen through “performed intimacy.”</li>
        <li>Social media amplifies these interactions, creating a constant stream of content for fans to dissect.</li>
        <li>Criticism arises when the performance feels inauthentic or overly calculated.</li>
    </ul>
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<p>This isn’t a spontaneous phenomenon. It’s a carefully calibrated strategy, just more visible than ever before. Back in Old Hollywood, studios meticulously constructed offscreen romances, planting stories and choreographing “candid” moments that required months of preparation. The relationship <em>was</em> the marketing, and it proved remarkably effective.</p>

<p>However, a backlash eventually emerged. Actors seeking recognition for their craft, rather than tabloid narratives, pushed for a clearer separation between character and self. Method acting, when skillfully executed, was lauded for its artistry, not as a reflection of an actor’s personal life.</p>

<p>Now, a new era has dawned: actors actively extending the world of their films beyond the screen. It’s not necessarily about fabricating relationships, but rather a kind of performed intimacy designed to keep the story alive between film releases. Robbie has spoken about feeling ‘unmoored’ in the absence of her character’s love interest, while Elordi described a ‘mutual obsession’ between them. The Valentine’s Day roses signed by Elordi as ‘Heathcliffe’ further fueled speculation.</p>

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    <p><strong>What’s driving this trend?</strong> The relentless demand for content in the digital age, coupled with the power of social media to amplify every interaction.</p>
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<p>It’s not precisely them, but rather the characters bleeding into the press tour. A similar dynamic unfolded with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana DeBose during the promotion of *Wicked*. Their tearful interviews and energetic exchanges effectively presented Elpheba and Glinda’s tumultuous relationship as real-life content.</p>

<p>The crucial difference today is social media. Every interview clip is dissected and shared endlessly. The more authentic the world feels—the more the actors seem to genuinely embody their characters—the deeper the audience’s investment becomes. The criticism surfaces when the performance feels contrived or overly obvious, but even then, audiences often remain captivated.</p>

<p>But somehow, we keep watching anyway!</p>