Jesse Eisenberg Drew a Hard Line Over Playing Mark Zuckerberg Again

Jesse Eisenberg , who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Zuckerberg in The Social Network, has decided not to return as Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin's upcoming sequel, " The Social Reckoning ." Although Sorkin spent three days trying to change his mind, the actor ultimately chose to move on from the role. Jesse Eisenberg says he no longer wants to be associated with Mark Zuckerberg Jesse Eisenberg discussed his decision at the Los Angeles premiere of Minions & Monsters and praised Sorkin. He made it clear that turning down the role was not a reflection of the filmmaker or the sequel. Eisenberg told Variety , "It's an honor to speak to Aaron in any capacity, because he's so articulate and charming and so bright." However, Eisenberg said he has other priorities now. "I just told him I'm moving in different directions in my life," he explained. He added, "I don't want to be associated with that character, but all of my reasons for not wanting to do the movie have nothing to do with how wonderful the movie is, and will be, and I'm sure is already." Meanwhile, Sorkin admitted that Eisenberg's refusal came as a surprise. The writer-director said it "never occurred" to him that the actor would turn down the opportunity to play Zuckerberg again. In fact, Sorkin made a serious effort to persuade him. He spent three days preparing an outline of reasons Eisenberg should return. That included the strong moments the actor could have in the sequel. Despite those efforts, Eisenberg remained unconvinced. Aaron Sorkin later explained that the actor no longer wanted to be "conflated" with the Meta CEO. "He simply did not want to be conflated with Mark Zuckerberg anymore, that he has his problems with the guy," Sorkin said. Money also reportedly failed to change Eisenberg's mind. Sorkin said, "money does not motivate Jesse." And he added that it could even work as a "disincentive" for the actor because of his concerns about raising his children with too much money. However, after Eisenberg passed, the role went to Jeremy Strong . The Social Reckoning will hit theaters on Oct. 9. The post Jesse Eisenberg Drew a Hard Line Over Playing Mark Zuckerberg Again appeared first on Reality Tea .