Jesse Eisenberg plays the main protagonist, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. The film is based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires,” by Ben Mezrich.
Q: What was it like to play the role of Mark Zuckerberg?
Eisenberg: It was hard to play his character because he is contemporary. It is not like I was playing [Abraham] Lincoln whose character is defined by history.
Q: Are you actively involved in Facebook?
Eisenberg: Before I started the movie, I had a cynical attitude toward Facebook because I felt that it took up too much time. Once I began my role, I actually signed up for Facebook to understand what my character created and I was able to understand why it is so popular.
Q: Do you feel that being accepted is something that everyone is faced with?
Eisenberg: Yes. The character is feeling something that is universal. We all have different coping methods and my character used a social network to deal with his insecurities. What is often a misconception is that the feelings go away once you reach success.
Armand Hammer landed the role as twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in “The Social Network.” The brothers’ create an offshoot company, ConnectU.
What was the biggest challenge playing a set of twins?
Hammer: The ability to approach two characters that have so many qualities [and] to show them as real people. I had to figure out how they dealt with each other and how to make them function as a team, but keep their individuality.
Q: How are your characters’ overall story related to the overall narrative of The Social Network?
Hammer: From their point of view, it’s crucial because they believe that they came up with Facebook. They are an element in the story that represented exactly what Mark Zuckerberg was up against.
Q: How has this generation been affected by the impact of social media?
Hammer: They are living a life that is defined by Facebook. They use Facebook as an incredible tool to reconnect, organize political rallies and join together to create awareness on various topics.
Andrew Garfield plays Eduardo Saverin, a fellow Harvard undergrad and Mark Zuckerberg’s best friend. Saverin and Zuckerberg deviate as Facebook becomes immensely successful and eventually part ways.
Q: How tricky was it to portray the character of Eduardo Saverin with the story of Facebook still being written?
Garfield: It’s rare that a subject is tackled immediately after its conception, but we had a script and Aaron Sorkin [the screenwriter] researched the story very well. I find it very interesting that it was told from multiple perspectives and no one was portrayed right or wrong.
Q: Was this movie intriguing or interesting to make?
Garfield: It was wonderful. Jesse and I formed a real bond on set while filming. It was interesting because were able to form friendships.
Q: Do you feel that social networking plays a big part in today’s society?
Garfield: Yes, I believe that Mark Zuckerberg has revolutionized the way that we communicate. Facebook fulfills a niche that we never knew even existed.