Jeremy Strong stayed so immersed in playing Mark Zuckerberg for The Social Reckoning that Aaron Sorkin warned the rest of the cast not to expect ordinary conversation with him between takes.
Strong did not use his normal voice on set and even changed the way he walked while portraying the Facebook founder, Sorkin told Variety.
“I told all the other actors in his scenes, ‘Guys, he’s not going to be hanging out with you at craft service. He’s not going to be yucking it up with you between takes. He’s probably not going to speak to you at all,’” Sorkin said.
Sorkin said Strong instead interacted with the people around him according to the actor’s interpretation of Zuckerberg. The director described the behavior as part of Strong’s preparation for the role, rather than a claim about how Zuckerberg actually treats colleagues in real life.
Sorkin Heard Strong’s Real Voice Only After His Final Take
Strong’s commitment continued through his final day of filming. Sorkin told The New York Times that the actor would defend Zuckerberg’s perspective during production and sometimes send late-night messages arguing the character’s side of an issue.
“He did not speak in his own voice on the set or walk the way Jeremy walks,” Sorkin said.
After Strong completed his final shot, he walked over to Sorkin and spoke normally. The director said it was the first time he had heard Strong’s own voice on set.
Strong also explained why he had spent the production defending Zuckerberg. His responsibility, he told Sorkin, was to advocate for the person he was portraying. Had he been playing Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz instead, Strong said he would have spent the production defending Horwitz.
Strong Contacted Zuckerberg After Taking the Role
Strong’s preparation began well before filming. In an August GQ profile, he revealed that he emailed Zuckerberg after accepting the part.
“I wrote to him,” Strong said. “Just to say that I take this responsibility very seriously, and the veracity of it seriously, and I’m approaching it with respect.”
Zuckerberg replied, although Strong declined to disclose what he wrote. The two had previously been in the same room at the Breakthrough Prize ceremony but had never met.
Strong researched Zuckerberg largely through publicly available material. He watched congressional testimony, podcasts, interviews, technology conferences and other appearances, then created a Facebook account so he could read Zuckerberg’s posts from the beginning and follow how his public persona changed over time.
Strong told GQ he was aware of how polarizing Zuckerberg had become but did not want to begin the performance by condemning him.
“I know that he is a reviled person and not a popular person in our culture,” Strong said, “but I do not think you should have an actor playing him who wants to set out to condemn him.”
Sorkin Calls His Zuckerberg an Antihero, Not a Villain
Sorkin has similarly resisted describing the film’s Zuckerberg as a straightforward villain. He has characterized the role as an antihero and said his approach to writing real people begins with understanding the argument they would make on their own behalf.
Strong described his job in similar terms. “My job is to understand and defend his point of view and fight his fight,” he told GQ.
The production also underwent additional legal scrutiny because it dramatizes real people and events. Sorkin told Variety that Sony hired an outside law firm to review the movie and verify material presented as factual.
Sorkin said it was his understanding that Sony had received letters from Meta, although he did not disclose their contents. He also said Meta representatives had asked for tickets to see the film.
‘The Social Reckoning’ Centers on the Facebook Files
The Social Reckoning is a companion piece to 2010’s The Social Network rather than a direct recreation of its story with an older Zuckerberg.
The film is inspired by the events behind The Wall Street Journal‘s Facebook Files investigation. Mikey Madison plays former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen, who provided internal company documents to journalist Jeff Horwitz, played by Jeremy Allen White.
Strong takes over the Zuckerberg role from Jesse Eisenberg, while Bill Burr, Betty Gilpin and Billy Magnussen also appear in the cast. Sorkin wrote and directed the film after winning an Academy Award for his screenplay for The Social Network.
The Social Reckoning opens in U.S. theaters on Oct. 9.