Jesse Eisenberg Reflects on Portraying Mark Zuckerberg in ‘The Social Network’
Actor recounts his attempt to meet the Facebook co-founder before filming and shares thoughts on power and philanthropy.
In a recent interview, Jesse Eisenberg discussed his experience playing Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film ‘The Social Network’. Eisenberg revealed that, prior to filming, he was eager to meet Zuckerberg to better understand the man he would portray. Without any formal arrangements from the producers, the then 25-year-old actor decided to drive to Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, intending to request a meeting with Zuckerberg.
“I was driving up to meet him because I was told [by producers], ‘No, we’re not going to [set up a meeting for you],'” Eisenberg recalled. “So I was literally in my car driving up. I was going to just go to the office and I figured they would let me in. [The film] was announced that I was in it. I just wanted to be in a room with him, just to see what the feeling is like. It just seemed like the bare minimum of research. How could you act in a movie [when] there’s a living person over there?”
However, during his drive, Eisenberg received a call from producer Scott Rudin, advising him against the visit due to legal concerns. “I got a call from Scott Rudin telling me: ‘Do not go there,'” Eisenberg said. “He was telling me this on behalf of Sony’s lawyers. He was telling me, ‘You can’t do that for a variety of legal reasons.'”
Reflecting on individuals with significant influence, Eisenberg expressed his views on the responsibilities that come with power. He highlighted his wife’s work in creating Disability Justice and teaching in New York public schools as an example of using one’s position to benefit others. “So when I think about people who have a lot of power and aren’t using it to help people, I’m just mystified,” he stated. “Why wouldn’t you just give away half your money to a good thing? And why are you taking off protections for marginalized people on your website? To me, that’s mystifying.”
Eisenberg has recently received critical acclaim for his work in ‘A Real Pain’, a film he wrote, directed, and starred in. The movie follows two cousins who travel to Poland to visit Holocaust sites, delving into themes of family and historical memory. The film has been praised for its exceptional performances and Eisenberg’s adept direction and screenplay.
For his original screenplay, Eisenberg earned an Oscar nomination earlier this month, marking his second nomination after his portrayal of Zuckerberg in ‘The Social Network’ 14 years ago.
