Eisenberg Calls 'The Debut' Autobiographical — SkimNews
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- Jesse Eisenberg told a San Sebastian Film Festival press conference Wednesday that his new film 'The Debut' is autobiographical, set in 1990 in central New Jersey where he grew up
- Eisenberg said he was 'so shy, depressed, and didn't have friends' as a child and was mocked at school for his curly hair until he walked into a community theater at age seven and 'suddenly everybody was so nice and they hugged me'
- The film stars Julianne Moore as Mona Friedman, a New Jersey housewife who rediscovers herself after joining a local musical production
- Eisenberg revealed that a scene where Moore's character is screamed at by a director played by Paul Giamatti was lifted from a real moment in drama school when a teacher broke him down in front of classmates — an experience he said unlocked his confidence because 'I've already gotten to the depths of my soul'
- Eisenberg was asked about passing on 'The Social Reckoning,' Aaron Sorkin's sequel to 'The Social Network' with Jeremy Strong now playing Mark Zuckerberg; he said he loved the script but 'didn't feel like' acting in it again
- Eisenberg said he has 'no opinion' on social media because he 'stays as far away from it,' joking that people associate him with the platform but 'know way more about the website than I do'
Why it matters: Eisenberg, described in the piece as an 'actor-turned-filmmaker,' is publicly anchoring his directorial work in the most personal material he's ever put on screen — his own childhood outsider experience — while simultaneously closing the door on reprising one of his defining roles, the Mark Zuckerberg turn that made him famous.
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