Rising star Jacob Elordi had to lose weight to play a prisoner of war in Justin Kurzel’s series The Narrow Road to the Deep North, but to him it “wasn’t complete torture.”

Asked how the weight loss affected him at a Berlin Fest presser, the “Euphoria” and “Saltburn” actor said it was actually “very calming experience” to go through the process with his fellow cast members, whom he affectionally called “the lads.”

“I think there was something quite profound that happened, in that it wasn’t complete torture,” he said. “There was a peace that sort of came over all of us. And you kind of reach a level of love that goes beyond what you’re used to, because everything gets stripped away and you come down to the bare bones of, ‘Is my mate OK? Am I OK? How can I help? Do you want a jellybean?’”

Elordi, who was sporting sideburns (perhaps for his role as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights”?) added that the cast was “watching each other and taking care of each other, so it became quite primal. I’m just really grateful to have shared that with these lads.”

Alongside Elordi, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” also stars Ciarán Hinds, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge and Simon Baker.

Prolific Australian director Kurzel is known for his film “Macbeth” (2015), “Nitram” (2021) and last year’s “The Order.”

Elordi  also discussed his motivations for choosing roles. “I really am just a superfan who is kind of following his heart,” he said. “I have no real interest in making movies for the sake of entertainment, for making money. It’s to try and capture that impossible feeling that we all have when we see something that’s of substance to us.”