Hollywood is full of fun “what if” stories, but here’s one that’s a bit unexpected. When it was announced thatDavid Fincherwould be directing a movie about Facebook written byAaron Sorkin, there was a hefty dose of skepticism from anyone who wasn’t a Fincher/Sorkin acolyte (my faith never wavered, for the record). Prejudice against the film got even more pronounced when Fincher castJustin Timberlakein the role ofSean Parker, which some felt was stunt casting and simply another example of a famous pop star throwing their weight around to be in the movies.
Those familiar Fincher’s sensibilities knew better, and of course not only didThe Social Networkgo on to become one of the defining films of the 21st century, but Timberlake’s performance was also critically acclaimed. However, the role of Sean Parker could have gone a very different way, asJonah Hillrecently revealed he was up for the part—but Fincher wasn’t having it.
During a wide-ranging interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Hill revealed that Sony Pictures wanted him to play Parker inThe Social Network, but Fincher had other ideas:
“Low-key, David Fincher, or high-key, David Fincher didn’t want me inSocial 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.”
Hill goes on to say he’s a huge fan of Fincher’s and harbors no ill will, but also admits that losing out onThe Social Networkis the one miss that hurts the most:
“Social Networkis the one that I was actually like years later was like, ‘Fuck, like I’m so bummed.’… That’s a movie I watch on a loop. You can watch that movie any time.”
While that casting may seem a little weird, the timing of this lines up. WhenThe Social Networkwas casting, Hill was still known mostly as a comedic actor. But whileSocial Networkhit theaters in 2010, the following year saw Hill land an Oscar nomination for his dramatic work inMoneyball, and now the actor has firmly solidified himself as a versatile talent. So he was clearly looking to branch out around the time that he was up for theSocial Networkrole.
Hill goes on to say that during the early portion of his career,Shia LaBeoufwas the one always getting the roles, then if Shia passed the studio would go toJesse Eisenberg, then if Eisenberg passed, Hill andPaul Danowere “fighting for scraps.” Hill namesThe Battle of Shaker HeightsandThe Girl Next Dooras other films he was up for that he ultimately didn’t get. Coincidentally, 2018 sees both Hill and Dano making impressive directorial debuts withMid90sandWildlife, respectively. Funny how that works out.
But yeah, while Hill has proven himself adept at dramatic work, it feels like Fincher probably made the right call forThe Social Network, as Timberlake’s performance is truly remarkable. Listen to the full conversation below.
