Attorneys Warned Jesse Eisenberg Not to Meet Mark Zuckerberg Before Filming ‘The Social Network’

Jesse Eisenberg recently received an Oscar nomination for his original screenplay for A Real Pain, his sophomore feature directorial effort starring himself and Kieran Culkin. While promoting the film and discussing his creative process, Eisenberg also discussed his other notable works. Among the films discussed was his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s 2010 film The Social Network.

On The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter Podcast, the actor revealed that he had attempted to meet with Zuckerberg to become more familiar with the role, saying:

“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].’ 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?”

As it turns out, Eisnberg’s attempts were in vain, as he would say: “I got a call from a producer telling me: ‘Do not go there.” As with any production that portrays real-life people, it was due to the legality of it all; as the actor/director would recall, “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.’”

Jesse Eisenberg’s Performance in ‘The Social Network’ is More Socially Relevant Than Ever

The Social Network would go on to be a critical and commercial success and was even chosen by the National Board of Review as the best film of 2010. Eisenberg earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role as Zuckerberg. The film managed to turn court proceedings and legal disputes into a gripping thriller. It characterized the creator of Facebook as an emotionless and heartless individual, and one whose own success and financial gain were more important than anyone who could be considered “close” to him.

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A Real Pain has claimed the top spot on Hulu’s top 10 movies list.

As it turns out, Eisenberg’s portrayal of Zuckerberg and representation of that wealthy class of developers would only become more revalent today. With figures like Elon Musk becoming as controversial as they are influential, The Social Network has transformed from a thrilling and captivating film of its time to a more worrying omen of the societal and political woes that would eventually be borne out of people similar to him.

It might have been for the best that Eisenberg didn’t meet Zuckerberg prior to filming (although they eventually met, awkwardly, on SNL), despite the actor’s initial attempts. The actor, who has now received recognition for his impressive directorial work, has shown an impressive commitment to the roles he plays and the stories he aims to tell.

The way in which his performance as the social media mogul has only grown more relevant speaks to the enduring legacy of movies like Fincher’s. And why the medium of film is still so incredibly important today.

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