Jesse Eisenberg has been around for years. For more than two decades, he’s been acting in a variety of films. However, he’s only recently started writing and directing, releasing two features so far (“When You Finish Saving the World” and “A Real Pain”). And according to actor-filmmaker, we have Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”) to thank for this new direction in his career.
READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2025
Speaking as part of THR’s Writers Roundtable, the actor-turned-filmmaker talked about his most recent film, “A Real Pain,” which he wrote and directed. However, perhaps the most interesting aspect of his discussion came when he talked about how he got started as a writer. Apparently, comedian Bob Odenkirk helped shape the way he approached writing.
“Starting out, I was writing little jokes because I was interested in comedy,” he explained. “Then, in my late teens, I started writing screenplays of the Adam Sandler’ 90s-era style. I figured out the formula, and I could reproduce it. I even had some of these scripts optioned — I’d send them to agents — but nothing would ever get made. I was also acting.”
READ MORE: The 20 Best Films Of 2024
He continued, “When I was 20, I got a part in a movie that Bob Odenkirk was directing, and I gave him my scripts because I knew he was in the comedy world and had worked at ‘SNL,’ so I thought, ‘He’ll send them to Adam Sandler.’ He took about two weeks to read them and then called and yelled at me for an hour but in an incredible way. I’ll never forget what he said because it changed my life. He said, ‘Buddy, why are you writing this? This is something that I’d get hired to write in a weekend. There’d be three of us sitting in a room at Happy Madison doing this. You’re a thoughtful, sensitive guy. Why is this your art?’ It killed me because those scripts represented years of my life. But right after that, I went to Poland for a movie and went to visit my family’s house, as we do in ‘A Real Pain.’ And I came back and wrote a play.”
It’s wild to think Bob Odenkirk had such an impact on the writer/director’s career. Now, we have Eisenberg, who is flexing his muscles as a thoughtful and still funny filmmaker. He’s crafting films that are unique and in his own voice. It’s wild to think about whatever broad comedies he crafted earlier in his career. It just wouldn’t feel right.
Even though he released “When You Finish Saving the World” only a few years ago, it’s “A Real Pain,” which has been his breakthrough as a filmmaker. He’s now earning rave reviews and serious awards love. Now, all eyes are on Eisenberg as a filmmaker and what he might come up with next.
