In a (somewhat) surprising move, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage alongside his Hollywood impersonator, Jesse Eisenberg, during this weekend’s opening monologue of “Saturday Night Live.” And the on-screen meeting was just as awkward as you’d expect.
The Social Network star, and SNL host, was first joined by another Zuckerberg imitator, Andy Samberg, who pompously wished Eisenberg luck at his “dinky movie award thing” (the Oscars) after being reminded of Facebook’s recent $50 billion valuation. The true Facebook king then completed the trio when he appeared backstage with SNL”s Lorne Michaels.
“Why can’t I go in there?” Zuckerberg asked Michaels, as he struggled to keep a straight face. “I’m the real Mark Zuckerberg… That guy’s like my evil twin and that’s just Andy Samberg. Those guys are such nerds. C’mon, I invented poking.”
When Zuckerberg finally appeared onstage, Samberg, now out of character, declared the Eisenberg-Zuckerberg meeting “awkberg,” and quickly made his way off screen. Eisenberg, who described his portrayal of Zuckerberg in The Social Network as simply an interpretation of “a fictional character in a movie script,” took the opportunity to ask Zuckerberg if he’d actually seen the film. “And, what’d you think?” Eisenberg asked. Zuckerberg, who has been somewhat critical of the film in the past, simply replied, “It was interesting.”
