Jesse Eisenberg is making it clear—he no longer wants to be linked to his iconic portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film The Social Network.
During an interview with BBC Radio 4, the 41-year-old actor and filmmaker revealed that he has deliberately avoided following Zuckerberg’s trajectory, saying: "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 compared the situation to playing a historical or fictional figure, but noted that in this case, Zuckerberg’s real-world actions make the association uncomfortable.
"It's not like I played a great golfer or something, and now I want people to think I'm a great golfer. It’s this guy who is doing things that are problematic—taking away fact-checking and safety concerns, making people who are already threatened in this world more threatened."
Eisenberg, who gained critical acclaim for his role in David Fincher’s 2010 film, made it clear that his concerns stem from his own personal views on social issues rather than his connection to the film.
"I'm concerned just as a person who reads a newspaper. I don't think, ‘Oh, I played the guy in the movie.’ I'm just a human being, and you read these things, and these people have billions upon billions of dollars—more money than any human has ever amassed."
He continued, questioning how such massive wealth and influence are being used: "What are they doing with it? Oh, they're using it to curry favor with people preaching hateful things?"