During a recent interview, the 40-year-old actor opened up about his experience preparing for the 2010 Oscar-winning film. “I was told by several people, ‘Do not go there. Do not meet him. It will affect your performance,’” Eisenberg disclosed. He explained that director David Fincher and writer Aaron Sorkin wanted him to build his version of Zuckerberg purely from the film’s script rather than be influenced by the real person.
The Social Network became a cultural phenomenon, earning critical acclaim for its portrayal of Zuckerberg’s rise to power and the controversies surrounding Facebook’s early days. Eisenberg’s performance was widely praised, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. However, his approach to playing Zuckerberg was purely based on research, rather than firsthand interactions with the billionaire.
Eisenberg admitted that he was curious about meeting Zuckerberg but ultimately followed the advice given to him. “I thought about reaching out, but the more I got into the script, the more I realized that it wasn’t about mimicking him—it was about capturing the essence of his character within the story we were telling,” he said.
Interestingly, after the film’s release, Zuckerberg himself had mixed feelings about the portrayal. In public statements, he dismissed some of the movie’s events as exaggerated but admitted that certain aspects were accurate. In a rare appearance on Saturday Night Live, Zuckerberg even shared a lighthearted moment with Eisenberg, proving that there were no hard feelings between the two.
Over a decade later, The Social Network remains one of the most compelling biopics in Hollywood history, and Eisenberg’s performance continues to be a benchmark for playing real-life figures on screen. Despite the warnings, it seems that staying away from Zuckerberg may have been the best decision Eisenberg could have made for the role.