Jesse Eisenberg has concerns about Mark Zuckerberg.
The “A Real Pain” star, 41, said in an interview with BBC Radio 4 that he does not want to be associated with the Meta CEO, whom he famously played in the 2010 film “The Social Network.”
Eisenberg also expressed disapproval of some of Zuckerberg’s recent actions at Facebook, including his decision to end the social network’s U.S. fact-checking program.
“I haven’t been following (Zuckerberg’s) life trajectory, partly because I don’t want to think of myself as associated with somebody like that,” he said.
But the actor continued that he is “concerned” about the Meta CEO “doing things that are problematic,” such as “taking away fact-checking,” and alleged he is “making people who are already threatened in this world more threatened.”
“These people have billions upon billions of dollars, more money than any human person has ever amassed, and what are they doing with it?” Eisenberg asked. “They’re doing it to curry favor with somebody who’s preaching hateful things.
Kieran Culkinribs Jesse Eisenberg for being ‘unfamiliar’ with his work before casting him
“I think of that not as a person who played (Zuckerberg) in a movie,” he added. “I think of it as just somebody who’s 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.”
Zuckerberg, who joined several influential CEOs at President Donald Trump’s inauguration, announced last month that Meta would get rid of fact-checkers in the U.S. in favor of a community notes approach similar to X. He described this as part of an effort to restore “free expression on our platforms” and said that recent elections represented a “cultural tipping point.”
“The Social Network” followed Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook when he was a student at Harvard University and subsequent legal battle with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss over the genesis of the idea. The movie received eight nominations at the Academy Awards, including best actor for Eisenberg, and won best adapted screenplay.
Zuckerberg has criticized the film and said its portrayal of him was not accurate.
“They went out of their way in the movie to try to get some interesting details correct, like the design of the office, but on the overarching plot, in terms of why we’re building Facebook to help connect the world, or how we did it, they just kind of made up a bunch of stuff that I found kind of hurtful,” he said in a 2014 town hall, adding that the film “made up this whole plot line about how I somehow decided to create Facebook to attract girls.”
Speaking on NPR last month, Eisenberg said that while playing Zuckerberg, he thought of him as a person whose “ambition supersedes their caution in a way that can be pretty dangerous,” and the CEO’s recent decisions seem like an extension that.
“I feel a little bit sad,” he said. “Why is this the path (he’s) taking?”
“The Social Network” screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has also been critical of Zuckerberg in the years since the movie’s release. In a 2019 The New York Times essay, he slammed the Meta CEO for allowing “lies that have a very real and incredibly dangerous effect on our elections and our lives and our children’s lives” on Facebook.
Sorkin also addressed Zuckerberg’s past comments about “The Social Network” being inaccurate, writing that “you and I both know that the screenplay was vetted to within an inch of its life by a team of studio lawyers with one client and one goal: Don’t get sued by Mark Zuckerberg.”
CORRECTION 2/4/25: Mercedes says that the GT63 S E Performance sedan has been on sale in the U.S. since the 2024 model year and arrived at dealerships in summer 2024. Mercedes says that the model year changeover for 2025 is currently underway, with the E Performance sedan gaining new optional MANUFAKTUR Signature paint choices for 2025.
UPDATE 2/3/25: The Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance sedan, originally set to reach the U.S. for the 2023 model year before being delayed to 2024, is now finally set to become available in the U.S. for the 2025 model year. The twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine is still paired with a single electric motor. This story has been updated to reflect minor changes to specifications. Mercedes claims the sedan will go from zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and will top out at 197 mph. Pricing for the GT63 S E Performance will start at $200,100.
Lost in the horde of online commenters lamenting the replacement of the V-8 with a four-cylinder engine in the latest Mercedes-AMG C63 was a new nameplate, E Performance—and some of these new hybrid models do in fact still use V-8 engines. In the U.S., we’ve gotten the S63 super-limo so far, and this hybrid setup actually first appeared two years ago on the GT63 S E Performance. Originally slated to debut in the United States for 2023, the hybrid four-door has been delayed. When it finally does arrive stateside, however, it will sport a sharp new face, with Mercedes revealing a refreshed version for Europe.
When asked about the E Performance’s absence, Mercedes told us that it would reach the United States for the 2024 model year with more details to come as part of a future announcement. We have a strong feeling that the U.S.-bound E Performance will include the revised bodywork from the new European model.
The most obvious change is the grille, which now sits within a larger opening with a black intake below the chrome vertical strakes, drawing inspiration from the new Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe. The bumper looks cleaner, with thin air vents on the outside and a subtler lower grille opening. Mercedes also updated the features list, although it’s unclear how Mercedes will package U.S.-market models. There is now a standard electric sunroof and wireless phone charger for the rear seats, and the standard Burmester surround sound system incorporates Dolby Atmos spacial audio, like the new E-class and other updated Mercedes-Benz models.
The hybrid powertrain is unchanged, with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 paired to an electric motor on the rear axle for a total of 831 horsepower and 1032 pound-feet of torque. That thrust is sent through a nine-speed automatic gearbox to all four wheels, with the electric motor powered by a 4.8-kWh battery. The E Performance also has air suspension as standard, and a new color, Opalite White Metallic, joins the lineup. Mercedes should reveal information about the U.S.-spec GT63 S E Performance in the coming months.
