Succession star Jeremy Strong recently opened up toGQ about his journey to becoming a part of Aaron Sorkin’sThe Social Reckoning. The follow-up to David Fincher’s The Social Network is set for release this fall and follows the events that took place 17 years later. The actor discussed how he personally reached out to Sorkin to be considered for the part of Mark Zuckerberg if Jesse Eisenbergdidn’t return. He told the magazine, “It’s the kind of role that fascinates me.”
Strong likened it to his Apprentice co-star, Sebastian Stan, taking on the role of Donald Trump. “It’s like, the perils of that could not be greater. To commit to it, and to be free within it, is a great challenge,” he said. “I know that he is a reviled person and not a popular person in our culture, but I do not think you should have an actor playing him who wants to set out to condemn him.”
Related: Watch Jeremy Strong’s Shocking Transformation Into Mark Zuckerberg in ‘The Social Reckoning’ Trailer
So naturally, he started his prep for the role by emailing Mark Zuckerberg: “I wrote to him — I’m probably going to give Sony an aneurysm — I sent him an email. Just to say that I take this responsibility very seriously, and the veracity of it seriously, and I’m approaching it with respect,” and Zuckerberg reached back out.
Now what Strong and Meta head honcho talked about remains between them, but the actor shared that if the businessman were to want to meet, he’s open to it. “It feels incredibly fraught to talk about the movie, to talk about Mark and being the person who is playing Mark and representing Mark in a sense to the world and to posterity. I feel an enormous sense of weight and responsibility,” he said. “My job is to understand and defend his point of view and fight his fight.”
The Social Reckoning hits theaters October 9, 2026.