Jonah Hill was going to be in the hit 2010 movie by David Fincher that everyone was talking about. This isn’t anything new. Hollywood is full of stories of actors turning down famous projects. From Brad Pitt and Will Smith turned down The Matrix to Claire Danes and Gwyneth Paltrow turning down Titanic, a lot of actors have to live with regrets.
So why is Jonah Hill’s story different? Because his story is part of the other group of actors. This group doesn’t get projects offered to them that they can turn down and even if they badly want to be in film, they don’t get it. Something similar happened with Hill when he was vying for this film that went on to win an Oscar.
Jonah Hill Wanted To Star In Hit David Fincher Film, But The Director Didn’t Want Him
The Social Network, a biography of Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook, was made by David Fincher on a budget of $40 million and grossed $224 million globally. The film got eight Academy Award nominations at the 2011 Academy Awards and won three. This was for Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker. However, this wasn’t always the desired cast. Once upon a time, other actors, notably Jonah Hill, were in contention for the role of Sean Parker. But he revealed on The Bill Simmons Podcast in October 2018 that Fincher didn’t want him.
He said:
“Low-key, [director] David Fincher, or high-key, David Fincher didn’t want me in Social Network. It was between me and Justin Timberlake for that part. Obviously, [Fincher’s] the man, but he was not having me. The studio wanted me, I think, and then Justin Timberlake was amazing in it. Social Network is the one that I was actually, like, years later, was like, ‘F—k, like, I’m so bummed.'”
But Hill is still all praise for the movie. He said, “That’s a movie I watch on a loop. You can watch that movie anytime.” Even though Fincher straight up dismissing the actor feels cruel, many fans think there’s a reason behind the acclaimed director’s decision.
Why Didn’t David Fincher Cast Jonah Hill In The Social Network?
From Jonah Hill’s interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast, it seems like the studio was in favor of casting him. But David Fincher wasn’t on board with the idea. Many have speculated that he cast Justin Timberlake, a popstar, to generate hype among general audiences for the project. However, others have a different point of view.
Many think that Fincher passed on Hill because back then he was known as a comedic actor. It wasn’t until his role in Moneyball that grabbed him an Oscar nomination, that he began to be treated as a serious star. His second Academy Award nomination for The Wolf of Wall Street further cemented that status. Now, Hill has established himself as a serious dramatic actor who has a reputed career.
The Social Network is available on Netflix.
Source: The Bill Simmons Podcast
