Before accepting the part of Meta CEO in the forthcoming film The Social Reckoning, Jeremy Strong contacted Mark Zuckerberg directly. The Emmy-winning actor stated that he wanted Zuckerberg to know he was taking on the role with seriousness and respect.
Strong, who is 47, gave the details in a new profile in GQ that was published on August 12. Having agreed to take on the role of Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin’s next film, Strong decided to send the tech billionaire an email.
I wrote to him, Strong told GQ, to make it clear that I take this responsibility very seriously as well as the truth of it, and that I am treating it with respect.
Zuckerberg did reply to the message, but Strong did not make public what the Meta CEO had replied. The two have never met in person.
Strong stated that while he knows Zuckerberg is a controversial figure, he thinks an actor taking on the role should not have the aim of criticizing or condemning him.
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“Listen, even though he is a person who is disliked and not popular in our culture, I don’t think you should have an actor take on the role of him who is out to condemn him,” Strong said.
Strong is in the role which was earlier held by Jesse Eisenberg, that actor playing Zuckerberg in the 2010 Oscar-winning film The Social Network. This film, with David Fincher as director and Aaron Sorkin as screenwriter, presented the founding of Facebook.
The Social Reckoning is a sequel, Sorkin again writing and directing it. The film centres on Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and the campaign she launches to make public the company’s internal documents. Mikey Madison portrays Haugen, and Jeremy Allen White also appears in the movie.
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Eisenberg chose to stay and not go as Zuckerberg. Earlier on he had said that he had thought about meeting Zuckerberg while he was preparing The Social Network, but had decided not to do so on the grounds of legal concerns.
Eisenberg remembered that at the time he was heading towards Facebook’s offices when producer Scott Rudin phoned him and asked him not to go. As Eisenberg stated, the decision was based on concerns raised by Sony’s lawyers.
Zuckerberg later appeared as a guest when Eisenberg was hosting Saturday Night Live in 2011. At the same time, however, the CEO of Meta has also criticised The Social Network, stating that the film included fictional elements which he found offensive.
In a 2026 interview with Variety, Eisenberg said that he had declined the chance to take on the role again since he was moving in a different direction in his life and did not want any association with the character any longer.
He also stated that he had tried to get Eisenberg to come back, spending a number of days attempting to change his mind, but in the end Eisenberg was still unwilling to be closely associated with Zuckerberg.
In contrast, Strong has adopted a different method when dealing with the role. He stated that he prepared by watching “everything he’s ever said and done” in order to understand Zuckerberg before taking on the part.
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The actor has called the role a great responsibility since it involves Zuckerberg and also addresses the various issues examined in the film.
The Social Reckoning will be released in cinemas on October 9, offering a fresh viewpoint on the story of Facebook, its leadership, and the controversies involving the company.
