Jesse Eisenberg, one of the most versatile and respected young actors of his generation, gave props to the popular series Modern Family. His passion for the production was palpable throughout our conversation. Eisenberg debuted on the show in Season 5, in an episode called “Under Pressure.” He starred as Asher, an environmentalist who moves in next door to Mitch and Cam. His guest appearance in the 2014 episode, “Dude,” has since become a source of mystery and speculation among fans.
In spite of these reservations, there’s a clear and deep fondness for Modern Family that comes through in Eisenberg’s writing. He remained a devoted watcher throughout the show’s first run. He was so excited for the series that he asked for a copy of his episode with all of his scenes edited out. This unexpected news was dropped by Alexander Skarsgard himself during a recent appearance on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast Dinner’s On Me.
Addressing criticisms In the same podcast, Skarsgard talked about his own obsession with the series. He remembered agreeing to appear on Modern Family in part because he was a fan himself. This mutual love for the comedic genius behind it reflects the profound effect the show has had on other players in the industry.
Eisenberg’s career is a remarkable string of successes. He’s received acclaim for A Real Pain, a feature-length film that he wrote, directed, and starred in. That film made Eisenberg’s Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay a reality. At the same time, Kieran Culkin would go on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor – unsurprisingly, given his exceptional work in the very material. Eisenberg received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He won this coveted accolade for his brilliant performance as Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film The Social Network.
Even with all those successes, Eisenberg couldn’t help but look back on how his experience working on Modern Family changed the trajectory of his career. He candidly remarked, “I’ve never said this before, and it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but I genuinely think it actually hurt my career in a real way because I was poorly received in something so public.” His frank appraisal speaks to the pressures that are brought to bear on actors who star in commercially successful, massively popular productions.
Eisenberg and Skarsgard had collaborated on more than just Modern Family. They both worked together on the feature film The Hummingbird Project and the transdisciplinary project A Real Pain. In addition to these projects, Eisenberg has played notable roles, including that of villain Lex Luthor in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Eisenberg humorously commented on his red carpet experiences: “We do the red carpet, walk in, introduce the movie, get the hell out of there, and then come back two hours later.” Her experience offers a fascinating look into the sometimes wild, sometimes disorganized universe of film marketing.
