Oct 2, 2026 · 29 min
Jeremy Strong defends empathy for controversial characters
Jeremy Strong on Playing Mark Zuckerberg and Other Unpopular Characters
The conversation examines how portraying powerful, morally troubling figures can illuminate debates about truth, democracy, and social media without excusing them.
- 1Strong builds Mark Zuckerberg from research and clues, seeking his worldview without endorsing it.
- 2His approach to Roy Cohn and Zuckerberg treats empathy as an acting tool, not a moral verdict.
- 3The Social Reckoning aims to provoke a debate about Facebook’s influence rather than reduce it to a single villain.
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Strong explains why he defended Zuckerberg’s point of view to Aaron Sorkin, arguing that empathy is necessary to portray a controversial figure honestly.
The brief
Jeremy Strong discusses playing Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning, approaching a living public figure through investigation rather than imitation.
Strong says actors must understand a character’s worldview without imposing their own judgment, a principle he applies to Zuckerberg and Roy Cohn.
He describes contacting Zuckerberg, writing emails in character, and defending Zuckerberg’s perspective to Sorkin as part of building a fuller portrait.
The conversation turns to Strong’s reputation for seriousness, the backlash around his methods, and the Dunkin’ Donuts commercial that played with that image.
Strong frames The Social Reckoning as a debate about democracy, truth, and civil discourse, not a simple indictment of Facebook or its founder.