Jesse Eisenberg explains honest reason he doesn't appear in many films or shows anymore
Jesse Eisenberg shocked many fans when the beloved actor decided not to return back for the sequel to The Social Network, a decision that writer Aaron Sorkin admitted ‘didn’t even occur to him’ until he sent Eisenberg a script.
The actor has one of the most sneakily stacked filmographies of any celebrity, having starred in Zombieland, Batman v Superman, the Now You See Me films, Adventureland, and of course The Social Network where he played Mark Zuckerberg and was nominated for an Oscar.
This has quieted down in recent years though outside of a role in a A Real Pain, which he directed, as Eisenberg revealed he actively turned down the chance to return to the role of Zuckerberg in The Social Reckoning.
Succession star Jeremy Strong is instead taking on the role in the sequel film which will focus on Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal.
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Turning down the Zuckerberg role is part of a wider decision from Eisenberg to not appear in as many TV shows and films nowadays.
From 2007-2016 the actor appeared in 28 different projects. In the decade since then he has only appeared in half that number (if you include a tiny cameo in Justice League).
It turns out that Eisenberg really isn't too fussed about being the centre of attention either - in fact, Eisenberg's A Real Pain co-star Kieran Culkin revealed that he was 'shaking' when they both posed for photos at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival back in January.
The Succession star told E! News: "He's just an anxious person. Just now, I had my arm around him and he was shaking. He said, 'Everything, when I go outside, makes me nervous."
According to Culkin, things weren't much different while they were on the film set either.
"Our styles definitely clashed," the 41-year-old continued. "He came to the trailer I was in and he was like, 'OK, are you ready for today?' I was like, 'Oh, I actually don't know what we're shooting today, but it'll be fine.'
"And that made him really nervous."
Eisenberg has has over 40 movie roles under his belt - including in blockbusters such as Zombieland, The Social Network, Now You See Me and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - but now prefers taking on gigs that are a bit more low-profile.
The 40-year-old also swapped positions and was behind the camera for 2022's When You Finish Saving the World, which he both wrote and directed.
These days, Eisenberg is perfectly content with only taking on jobs that excite him which involve characters who he'd enjoy stepping into the shoes of, which explains why we haven't seen him in the cinemas that much lately.
Speaking to Esquire in 2023, the actor said he doesn't really watch his own films, so he prioritises the experience he has while playing the part rather than the finished product.
He explained: "I've worked with people who have made a lot of movies too, and they're not always amazing.
"I don't watch the movies I'm in, so I really just focus on the experiences I'm going to have and what character I'm going to play and live with and feel like.
"So I guess I'm less concerned with the final product and more concerned with just doing what's exciting at the moment."
Eisenberg also previously opened up in an interview with Indiewire about how directing When You Finish Saving the World helped him overcome his fears about the film industry.
The Adventureland star added: "It’s kind of taken a bit of anxiety off me as an actor. Because I see the process from the outside so it’s less daunting.
"Normally as an actor on set I’m a ball of anxiety, and partly that has to do with the fact that I shelter myself so much.
"I don’t watch dailies, I don’t watch the movie, I don’t ask anybody how I’m doing because I’m panicked that I’m not doing well. And having directed a movie, just kind of relieving myself and puncturing the mystique of the whole process of it and the artifice of it allows me to think about it in more practical terms.
"So, maybe I wish I would have done that sooner."
Topics: Celebrity, Mental Health, TV and Film, US News, Film
Olivia Burke