The Social Network: Where You Know the Cast From

Facebook is probably the most popular social networking app ever created.

It’s certainly been the most influential in this digital world of ours, so it figures that a film about that phenomenon would be made at some point.

Back in 2010, David Fincher delivered The Social Network. With his masterful direction, a sharp, intriguing script from Aaron Sorkin, and impeccable performances across the board, the film was at the heart of the Oscars, winning three awards but missing out on the top prize.

There’s a sequel on the way with The Social Reckoning tracking the exposé that brought Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. But, before that arrives, let’s revisit the talented cast from the original movie.

Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg takes on the main role as Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, and frankly, he knocks it out of the park. His dry sense of humour and slightly abrasive tone fit the vibe to a tee. The whole film rides or dies on his shoulders, but he carries it wonderfully, making Zuckerberg the kind of problematic protagonist that we love to hate.

He’s had a varied career, outside of this role, with comedy projects like Adventureland and Zombieland, dramatic films like The End of the Tour and A Real Pain, and a key role in the Now You See Me series. Eisenberg’s most high-profile role, however, is as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman as part of Zack Snyder’s DCU.

Andrew Garfield

While Zuckerberg may have been the main man in this story, it was Andrew Garfield’s Eduardo Savarin whom audiences truly rooted for. He was squeezed out of the company by Zuckerberg, which led to Garfield’s iconic scene where he smashes the computer keyboard and tells Zuckerberg to “lawyer up”.

Garfield is no stranger to the superhero game, either, having played Spidey in The Amazing Spider-Man. He’s not just a blockbuster star, though, with two Oscar-nominated performances in his locker for Hacksaw Ridge and Tick, Tick… Boom! You’ll also find Garfield opposite Florence Pugh in the bittersweet romance movie We Live In Time, starring in Martin Scorsese’s Silence, and playing a detective in the surrealist thriller Under the Silver Lake.

Dakota Johnson

Her screen time in The Social Network is brief, but Dakota Johnson’s Amelia Ritter does have a significant influence on the proceedings. After hooking up with Sean Parker, she introduces him to the fledgling social media website in question, and chaos ensues from there as Parker sticks his nose into the business.

It seems like Johnson is everywhere these days, with Materialists and the much-maligned superhero movie, Madame Web, on her list of credits in the last couple of years. Her most prominent role was in the Fifty Shades of Grey movies, where she played Anastasia Steele opposite Jamie Dornan. You’ll also find her in more nuanced, dramatic movies like A Bigger Splash, The Peanut Butter Falcon, and The Lost Daughter, as well as the stylish supernatural horror movie, Suspiria.

Rooney Mara

If it weren’t for Rooney Mara’s character, Erica Albright, we wouldn’t have Facebook at all. We’ll leave it up to you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not. Erica breaks up with Zuckerberg early in the film, largely because of his condescending behaviour in their relationship, which spurs him on to create a platform used for judging women based on their looks. 

She’s not in the film for long, but there are plenty of other great projects you can see Mara in. She was nominated by The Academy for her roles in the sapphic romance story Carol and another Fincher movie, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. She’s also appeared in the brilliant Spike Jonze film Her, A24 flick A Ghost Story, and Guillermo del Toro’s psychological thriller, Nightmare Alley.

Rashida Jones

Rashida Jones is an integral character in the final act of The Social Network. She plays junior lawyer Marylin Delpy, who works on Zuckerberg’s defence team, and famously tells him to settle the case and stop trying so hard to pretend to be an a**hole. It’s a punchy performance from Jones, which is something she’s delivered many times in her career.

Perhaps her most memorable roles are on the small screen, in the sitcoms Parks and Recreation and The Office. On the big screen, she’s been in comedies like I Love You, Man and Tag, but has taken on more serious roles in projects like The Sound of Silence and On The Rocks.

Justin Timberlake

Obviously, Justin Timberlake is better known for his work as a musician, having been part of the boy band NSYNC before carving out a highly successful solo career. However, he’s superb in The Social Network, where he plays trouble-maker Sean Parker, the man who essentially steers Zuckerberg away from Eduardo and breaks up the business partnership.

In the movie industry, Timberlake has been integral in building the popular animated franchise Trolls, with his music playing a key role in the success of those films. On-screen, you’ll also find Timberlake starring in the thriller movie In Time, the romantic comedy Friends With Benefits, and in the 2006 crime movie Alpha Dog. He’s also appeared in Inside Llewyn Davis, Bad Teacher, and Southland Tales.

Armie Hammer

Hammer plays both of the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network (thanks to some clever computer-generated work and a stand-in performance from Josh Pence). The duo accuse Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea for Facebook, and it’s a fantastic dual performance from an actor we don’t see a lot of these days for infamous reasons...

In the past, he starred opposite Timothée Chalamet in the beautiful Luca Guadagnino movie Call Me By Your Name, appeared alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar, and was paired up with Henry Cavill for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. His impressive body of work also includes thriller movies like Nocturnal Animals, Free Fire, and the absurd yet amazing social satire Sorry To Bother You from acclaimed director Boots Riley.