Aaron Sorkin has revealed that Jeremy Strong stayed in character as Mark Zuckerberg throughout the entire shoot of “The Social Reckoning,” speaking in his own voice only once.
The writer-director, 63, said that Strong, 46, adopted the tech billionaire’s mannerisms and vocal patterns so completely that he had to warn the rest of the cast before their scenes together. Sorkin explained that the “Succession” star did extensive preparation before arriving on set and made no exceptions for social niceties once filming began.
“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 recalled.
“And that’s what happened. You cannot argue with the results.”
The film centers on Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager turned whistleblower, played by Mikey Madison, 25. Jeremy Allen White, 34, portrays investigative technology reporter Jeff Horwitz. Strong’s Zuckerberg serves as a looming presence throughout the drama, which revisits territory Sorkin first explored in his Oscar-winning 2010 screenplay for “The Social Network.”
Sorkin praised Strong’s dedication, noting the actor “did not speak in his own voice on the set or walk the way Jeremy walks.” The director said there was only a single exception across the entire production: immediately after the final shot wrapped on Strong’s last day of shooting.
The filmmaker also addressed how he views the character, distinguishing between the real Zuckerberg and his fictionalized version. “I don’t want to pass judgement on the real Mark,” Sorkin said. “The Mark in The Social Reckoning is an antihero, not a villain.”
The intensity of Strong’s commitment extended beyond his on-set behavior. Sorkin revealed that the actor would write to him “late at night” to defend Zuckerberg’s actions and perspective, maintaining his character’s viewpoint even in private correspondence with the director.
“And I just want to add that the character and the person not only have me trying to defend them, but Jeremy Strong, who blows the doors off the place playing this part, was constantly defending Mark to me,” Sorkin continued.
The sole moment Strong broke his method approach came with a telling remark about his process. “In his own voice said, ‘If I’d been playing Jeff, I’d have been defending Jeff,'” Sorkin recalled, referencing White’s character.
“The Social Reckoning” marks Sorkin’s return to the world of Facebook after his acclaimed dramatization of the company’s founding. The 2010 film earned Jesse Eisenberg a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Zuckerberg and won Sorkin the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Where that earlier film focused on the platform’s origins, the new project examines more recent controversies through Haugen’s 2021 whistleblower disclosures about the company’s internal research and prioritization of engagement over user wellbeing.
The film is set for release in the US on October 9.