Jesse Eisenberg has picked up tons of nominations for Best Original Screenplay for his film A Real Pain, including at the upcoming BAFTAs (February 16) and Oscars (March 2), and he recently won in the category at the London Critics Circle Film Awards. So while he was over in London town, Jesse sat for an interview with the BBC. Of course, any talk show appearance or magazine profile of Jesse references one of his most notable roles: playing Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, for which he earned his first and only other Oscar nom for Best Actor in 2011. Well, not one full month after the inauguration of Musk Trump, where Zuckerberg was prominently featured among other tech bros, and Jesse made sure to unequivocally declare on BBC radio waves that he does not want to be linked to Zuckerberg anymore. Sorry Zuck, you’ve been unfriended.
Jesse Eisenberg, who starred as Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg in 2010 film The Social Network, has told BBC News he no longer wants to think of himself “as someone associated with someone like that”.
“It’s like this guy is… doing things that are problematic, taking away fact-checking,” Eisenberg told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “[There are] safety concerns. Making people who are already threatened in the world more threatened.”
Meta announced last month it would no longer use independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram, replacing them with X-style “community notes”, where commenting on the accuracy of posts is left to users.
In a video posted alongside a blog post, Mr Zuckerberg said third-party moderators were “too politically biased” and it was “time to get back to our roots around free expression”.
But Eisenberg told BBC News he was “concerned”.
“These people have billions upon billions of dollars, like more money than any human person has ever amassed and what are they doing with it?” he said.
“That’s what I think… not as like a person who played in a movie. I think of it as somebody who is married to a woman who teaches disability justice in New York and lives for her students are going to get a little harder this year.”
Meta’s move came as Mr Zuckerberg and other technology executives sought to improve relations with US President Donald Trump, ahead of his inauguration.
Trump and his Republican allies had criticised Meta’s fact-checking policy, as censorship of right-wing voices.
And after the changes were announced, Trump told a news conference he was impressed by Mr Zuckerberg’s decision and Meta had “come a long way”.
Last week, Trump signed a legal settlement that will see Meta pay out roughly $25m (£20m).
He had sued the company and Mr Zuckerberg, in 2021, over the suspension of his accounts after the 6 January Capitol riots.
I cannot disagree with Jesse! And I also love how he frames what’s at stake through the work of his teacher wife. In a just world (I know, ha), Mark Elliot Zuckerberg would be hauled into court for wreaking havoc on the mental health of kids & young adults, the land rights of native Hawaiians, and truth itself, by allowing dis-and-misinformation to flourish. (He’s also committed serious crimes against the art of gift–giving, which should not be ignored, either.) So out of respect for Jesse, I will do my part not to identify him anymore as, “the actor who played Mark Zuckerberg.” Instead, I’ll primarily think of Jesse as the exceedingly anxious and neurotic actor-filmmaker who organizes family vacations around visiting historical sites of human strife as a way to eschew (or at least lessen) any feelings of guilt about time spent at leisure away from work to begin with. So much simpler!
Photos credit: PA Images/INSTARimages, Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Getty
Way to go Jesse Eisenberg! I respect both his right not to be associated with MZ and that he’s calling out what concerns him.
Much respect to Jesse. Well done, Sir. I have been thinking about the differently abled a lot. Nazis murdered them too – people often forget that. I got off FB a while back. The Haitians eating pets nonsense was the absolute final straw for me. I am not on X either. I am so glad there is real talk in Canada about banning these platforms. The Russian bot activity is through the roof and it’s crazy how within days MAGA starts parroting the very things the bots were spoon-feeding them on these sites. I’ve seen people in my own life get brainwashed. It’s really sad how people are choosing this cult over their loved ones.
There’s no talk in Canada about banning these platforms
I never saw the Social Network or any of Jesse’s other movies but he’s quickly becoming my favorite actor!! In a world where it seems that everyone is capitulating to Felon47, I cheered to see someone stand up and say “nope”.
I highly recommend A Real Pain. I’ve listened to interviews with both Jesse and Kieran on podcasts and it’s so funny/interesting how much their actual personalities are reflected in the movie. It’s really well done.
This is a great thing for him to say and I never thought he would think differently. Problem is, far too many people have a hard time separating actors from whoever they play or have played, and that’s not on the actor.
Zuckerberg, Bezos, Trump Elno not one of them would matter if we didn’t give them our $ and time.
Well done. And centering it on actual people who will be /are being harmed by this. Good guy and I’ll support his movies.