Jesse Eisenberg has no desire to be linked to Mark Zuckerberg, the man he portrayed in 2010’s The Social Network. In a recent interview with BBC Radio 4, the 41-year-old actor made it clear that he prefers to keep his distance from the Facebook and Meta cofounder, whose actions he deems problematic.
Distancing from Zuckerberg’s Influence
"I haven’t been following his life trajectory, partly because I don’t want to think of myself as associated with somebody like that," Eisenberg said.
"It’s not like I played a great golfer and now I want people to think I’m a great golfer — it’s like this guy is doing things that are problematic, taking away fact-checking and safety concerns, making people who are already threatened in this world more threatened."
His comments come amid ongoing criticism of Meta’s content moderation policies. The company recently made sweeping changes to its editorial standards across Facebook and Instagram, decisions that have sparked widespread controversy. When asked if Meta’s recent moves concerned him, Eisenberg responded, "I’m concerned just as a person who reads a newspaper."
Billionaires and Influence
Eisenberg also addressed the vast wealth amassed by figures like Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos. "What are they doing with it? Oh, they’re doing it to curry favor with people preaching hateful [things]?" he questioned, pointing out the influence billionaires wield in shaping public discourse.
Zuckerberg, who currently ranks as the third richest person in the world, has faced scrutiny for his political ties. His attendance at Donald Trump’s 2017 presidential inauguration and Meta’s later $25 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit following his suspension from its platforms have fueled ongoing debates about the company’s role in global politics.
More Than Just a Role
Despite the lasting cultural impact of The Social Network, Eisenberg reiterated that his views on Zuckerberg stem from personal convictions rather than his portrayal of him. "I think of that not as a person who played [him] in a movie," he said.
"I think of it as somebody who is married to a woman who teaches disability justice in New York and whose students are going to have a harder time this year."
While talk of a sequel to The Social Network has surfaced over the years, with director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin acknowledging discussions on the subject, Fincher recently dismissed the idea as "a can of worms".
For Eisenberg, however, the real-world implications of Zuckerberg’s actions remain far more pressing than revisiting his most famous role.
