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Despite starring in The Social Network – widely regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s – Jesse Eisenberg has a complex relationship with his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg. The 2010 David Fincher film, which earned Eisenberg an Academy Award nomination, chronicled Facebook’s contentious early days at Harvard and its rapid rise in social media.
Now, 15 years later, Zuckerberg’s image has changed. People see him differently; not just as the guy who invented pokes and likes, but someone linked to privacy issues and strange projects like the Metaverse.
Because of this, Jesse feels embarrassed about being connected to Zuckerberg through his Oscar-nominated role.
Jesse shared his thoughts with the BBC while promoting another movie, “A Real Pain,” which got two Oscar nods recently.
“It’s not like I portrayed a great golfer,” he said. “Now folks think I’m linked to someone who’s causing problems—removing fact-checking and endangering vulnerable people.”
“I don’t want to think of myself as associated with somebody like that.”
Actor Jesse Eisenberg accuses Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg – who he played in The Social Network – of ‘doing things that are problematic’.#R4Today pic.twitter.com/V5aqeMJaZ4
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) February 4, 2025
Earlier this year, Jesse expressed similar concerns. He wondered why extremely wealthy individuals don’t donate half their money to good causes.
“Thinking about powerful people not helping others baffles me,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “Why not give away half your fortune? Why remove protections for marginalized groups online?”
Zuckerberg’s wealth is around $237 billion, making him super rich. He’s been in the news for cutting fact-checkers at Meta and mingling with top figures like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos during political events.
