Andrew Garfield reveals that both he and co-star Jesse Eisenberg hated their performances in The Social Network, fearing they’d ruined the movie.
The Social Network star Andrew Garfield reveals why he initially hated the movie. Directed by David Fincher, with Aaron Sorkin writing the script, the duo adapted a book by Ben Mezrich to dramatize the founding of Facebook in addition to the lawsuits that followed. Since its release in 2010, helped in part by Facebook’s recent scandals, The Social Network’s legacy has grown. Beyond the real-world implications of the film, it received praise from audiences and critics alike for its formidable cast, memorable screenplay, and Fincher’s exemplary direction.
Garfield, who portrayed Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, has opened up about his memories of The Social Network in recent interviews. Reflecting on the movie’s climactic confrontation between Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), in which a laptop gets smashed, the actor discussed how Fincher helped him through it and how he’d given his best effort in the scene. Garfield now confesses that, nonetheless, his initial reaction to The Social Network was to hate it. And, he says, he wasn’t the only cast member to feel that way.
In an interview with Total Film, to promote his upcoming projects, including Tick, Tick… Boom!, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Garfield revealed that the reason he didn’t like The Social Network at first was because he felt quite critical of his own performance. He added that Eisenberg shared the same sentiments, with the duo arguing that Fincher’s feature would have been better if other actors were playing their characters. Garfield’s quote is included below.
“I’m very rarely satisfied with how something turns out. I suffer from that kind of queer, divine dissatisfaction that most creative people have. I remember watching The Social Network for the first time, and me and Jesse were like, “Oh, we hate this s–t. We hate it.” Everyone around us was going, “What the f–k is wrong with you? It’s incredible.” We were like, “No. I ruined it. They should have cast someone else.” There’s a healthy version of that, which is the growing down thing. But then sometimes it turns into an indulgence.”
Garfield has been open about how he aims to view his acting career with healthy skepticism. When speaking of his role as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, he’s noted that his favorite part was that the high-profile job allowed him to bring attention to philanthropic causes. He’s also said in the past that he tries not to buy into the hype that comes with intense celebrity. But, in general, Garfield is in good company as far as being hyper-critical of his work. Many actors have elaborated on why they choose not to watch their projects, knowing that they’ll invariably zero in on their flaws and perceived weak points.
Still, it’s worth lingering on how important Garfield and Eisenberg were to the success of The Social Network. Many viewers have taken their versions of Saverin and Zuckerberg as authentic, even though the film’s narrative strays from what really happened. The laptop smashing scene, arguably the most pivotal scene in the entire feature, is regularly cited as one of the best movie moments of the 2010s and it’s even been recreated by Teen Wolf alum Dylan O’Brien. Hopefully, in the years since, Garfield has learned to appreciate his work more.
Source: Total Film
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