Culture 4 min read By Mason Emerson
Jeremy Strong Treated Co-Stars Like Mark Zuckerberg on 'The Social Reckoning' Set, Says Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin revealed that Jeremy Strong stayed in character as Mark Zuckerberg on the set of 'The Social Reckoning,' treating his co-stars the way he imagined the Meta CEO treats people around him.
Aaron Sorkin has revealed that Jeremy Strong remained fully immersed in his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg while filming 'The Social Reckoning,' treating his fellow actors the way he imagined the Meta CEO treats the people around him. The director and writer shared the details of Strong's method approach with The New York Times, explaining that the actor never broke character on set.
According to Sorkin, Strong did not speak in his own voice or walk the way he normally does during production. The director told the other actors in Strong's scenes not to expect any casual interaction with their co-star. «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. He is going to treat you the way he imagines Mark treats the people around him,'» Sorkin said. «And that's what happened. You cannot argue with the results.»
Strong's preparation for the role also included corresponding with Zuckerberg himself without consulting Sorkin first. The director admitted he was «not shocked» that Strong did not inform him about the communication, noting that the actor does a tremendous amount of work before arriving on set. «Jeremy does a lot of his own work,» Sorkin explained.
'The Social Reckoning' serves as a sequel to the 2010 film 'The Social Network,' which Sorkin wrote. The new film focuses on the 2021 Facebook Files investigation, with whistleblower Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, and Wall Street Journal journalist Jeff Horwitz, played by Jeremy Allen White, exposing harmful internal practices at Meta. Strong takes over the role of Zuckerberg from Jesse Eisenberg, who portrayed the tech titan in the original film.
The actor's commitment to his craft has been well documented. Strong recently spoke in a Polish accent during an interview with GQ, something he had been doing for seven months while filming a remake of 'The Boys From Brazil.' He explained his philosophy: «I don't want it to feel like an accent. I want it to just be a person, and that's their voice—and our voice is the most individual thing about us.»
Sorkin also recalled a recent phone call from Strong that exemplified his immersive approach. «He called me six or eight weeks ago, and without any introduction, he was just speaking as an Eastern European Nazi hunter, talking to me about the movie we had just made, without saying, 'Hey, listen, this is going to sound strange, but…'»
Strong has defended his method, stating that a significant part of being an actor involves walking through fears and committing fully to the work. «It's just about committing to it. It's like, I can tell if I have not crossed that Rubicon,» he said. «And sometimes you have to be willing to be uncomfortable, or make other people uncomfortable. At the end of the day, the literal only thing that matters to me is what's going to end up on screen. That is the only thing. And I'll take the hits in order to try to fully do that.»
Not everyone has embraced Strong's approach. Former 'Succession' co-star Brian Cox has previously criticized the actor's method, calling it «fucking annoying» and «American shit,» and claiming that Strong «begged» him to stop discussing it in interviews. Despite the criticism, Strong's dedication to his craft remains a defining aspect of his career, and his portrayal of Zuckerberg in 'The Social Reckoning' is already generating significant attention ahead of the film's release.
