Jesse Eisenberg on A Real Pain and why blockbusters can be "boring"

How did A Real Pain start?

I was writing a movie about these two guys going to Mongolia and becoming disillusioned with a third friend from their childhood. I was just really struggling and as I was banging my head against the keyboard, an ad popped up online that said, "Auschwitz tours with lunch". It was like a gift from the creative gods...

Have you done a deep dive into your own Polish roots?

When I was 17, I started seeing my Aunt Doris every Thursday – she was born and raised in Poland. As a third generation American, I guess I felt a little bit disconnected to something historically meaningful, and I was trying to figure out what that was. And so I was exploring it almost from a self-centred perspective. Where do I come from? Who am I?

You also got Polish citizenship?

My family has spent more time in Poland than in America. I guess I feel connected to something that imbues me with a little more meaning there. I guess it feels indulgent and quite privileged to look for self-actualisation through citizenship from another country. But I’m a curious person, and it feels important in some way.

Your character David is quite anxious. Were you toying with the public perception of you?

I’m not so much interested in the public persona of actors – which probably comes from me resenting that I have to have a public persona as an actor. You want to do a role without people thinking that it overlaps with something in your personal life. I don’t think my wife would recognise the character in the movie, David, as me.

What was it like working with Kieran Culkin?

I’ll tell you what I told him on the second day. I said, "I know these crotchety old male directors will often say that they fell in love with their young ingénues. And I always just thought there’s something perverted about it. But I’m having that exact experience." I’m like, "I think I fell in love with you." I called my wife and I was like, "I think I’m in love with this guy." He was so brilliant.

You write plays, direct, act. What’s left to conquer?

I just want to stay busy. When I think of a failure, it’s not being in a movie that people don’t like. The only time I feel like a failure is when I have six months of the year doing nothing. My wife is a teacher. She goes to work every day. So, I just want to stay busy. If I have a life in the arts, I’ll consider that the greatest possible success.

So you have no career regrets?

No. My only regret would probably be that I wish I felt a little more comfortable with myself when I was starting out. I was just a wreck. Truthfully. To the point where I couldn’t even call myself an actor to anybody, because I’d think I’m not worthy of the title. And I just wish I’d been a little more comfortable and taken things a little more lightly.

You’ve been in blockbusters like Batman v Superman. Did you enjoy being a cog in such a giant machine?

I have to find some space for my creative impulses to be stimulated, because otherwise it’s just a really boring experience. If I was doing a movie and didn’t feel that… I think I would be very depressed.

You won an Oscar nomination for The Social Network. Given Facebook’s development, could you see there being a sequel?

It’s funny, I never would have even conceived of the first movie. In fact, when I heard that they were making a movie about the creation of the website, I was sceptical until I read this brilliant script by this genius writer, Aaron Sorkin.

You’re currently shooting magician-heist sequel Now You See Me 3. You must be very good at magic by now…

No, I’m not! Some of the other actors are unbelievable. Dave Franco can cut a watermelon with a card! He’s just amazing. And gets better.

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A Real Pain is released in UK cinemas on 10th January.

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