Rumor suggests Mark Zuckerberg may crash 'SNL'
Jesse Eisenberg, the actor who played Zuckerberg in "The Social Network," is hosting "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. A gossip item suggests Zuckerberg himself may show up.
The last time we wrote about Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg making an appearance on "Saturday Night Live," it was an April Fool's Day joke. Now, according to a rumor posted in the New York Post, that wacky idea may come true.
Jesse Eisenberg, the actor who played Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network," an unflattering but acclaimed portrait of the young CEO, is scheduled to host "SNL" this Saturday. Eisenberg was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, so it's a high-profile "SNL" hosting appearance. According to the Post, the team behind the sketch comedy show has approached Zuckerberg about showing up alongside Eisenberg as a surprise, and that Zuckerberg--who was named Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2010--"has indicated he's interested...to show he has a sense of humor."
"SNL" cast member Andy Samberg has already played Zuckerberg in a skit, in which he was pitted against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, played by Samberg's co-star Bill Hader.
Facebook initially was hostile to the production of "The Social Network," directed by David Fincher, and the book that it was based on, Ben Mezrich's "The Accidental Billionaires." But when it became clear that the film was of high quality and would likely be a hit, Facebook took it with a lighter tone and gently reminded prospective viewers that the company considers it a work of fiction. Zuckerberg initially said he would not see it, but ultimately bought out a theater and took the whole Facebook staff.
"The Social Network" has been nominated for eight Oscars.