Metro Manila, Philippines – Jeremy Allen White steps into the role of Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz in Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning,” a film inspired by the investigation that became known as The Facebook Files.
The film follows Horwitz’s reporting and the disclosures of former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, whose internal documents provided key evidence for the investigation into the social media giant and its impact on society.
Sorkin said White emerged as an early choice for Horwitz after casting director Francine Maisler suggested “The Bear” star for the role.
“Our fantastic casting director Francine Maisler, who has cast pretty much everything I’ve done, mentioned Jeremy in our first conversation and I thought we’ll never be able to get him,” Sorkin said.
“But I loved his performances in The Bear and as Springsteen and as soon as we met, we hit it off right away. He has all the skills, and all the intelligence, stoicism, and sense of humor to really get this character.”
White came to the project after portraying Bruce Springsteen in “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.”
For his portrayal of Horwitz, White said he did not meet the journalist and instead built his character around Sorkin’s screenplay.
“In the worlds that Sorkin creates, the characters take on a new life all their own,” White said. “He likes the actors to play the character on the page, so the real Jeff and I never had contact.”
White said he saw Horwitz as a journalist trying to remain focused on his reporting despite mounting pressure.
“For me, it was exciting to try to understand Jeff in this different way. I saw him as someone trying his best to remain curious and questioning even as the pressure on him from all sides gets overwhelming,” he said.
White also credited Sorkin’s signature dialogue with helping shape his performance.
“His dialogue gives you beautiful rhythms while also being full of ideas,” White said. “Things move fast, but Aaron also knows how to really let scenes breathe.”
A key part of the story is Horwitz’s relationship with Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, as they navigate the investigation and the eventual disclosure of information from inside Facebook.
“I’ve long been a fan of Mikey’s,” White said. “I found her wonderfully present, grounded, and intriguing as Frances, which made the intense pressure Jeff feels to do right by her even higher.”
White said the relationship between Horwitz and Haugen evolves as the investigation progresses.
“Jeff is at first frustrated by Frances, but he becomes increasingly protective of her,” White said.
He described Haugen as initially wary of Horwitz and conflicted about exposing a company where she had worked and remained proud of her contributions.
“Jeff tries to respect that, but he wants the truth to come out, and I don’t think he fully realizes how big a sacrifice it is for her until she has already made it,” White said.
“The Social Reckoning” arrives in Philippine cinemas on Oct. 7.
This is a news release from Universal Pictures
