A comprehensive list of every single thing Jesse Eisenberg hates
Put Jesse Eisenberg on an awards stage and he’s liable to rattle off a few of his favourite things – namely, Emma Stone (same, Jesse), his wife, and, grudgingly, Kieran Culkin.
Put him anywhere else, and he is liable to list all of the things he hates. One could argue that this level of negativity is not welcome in such a hell-infested world. Things are bad enough without having a member of Hollywood’s inner circle complain about the number three (more on that later). But I say, lighten up and let the man hate. There is something comforting about a bit of low-stakes sniping, and I, for one, am all in.
To be clear, this is not a safe space for negativity directed at Jesse Eisenberg. That type of hater has no place here. He might have been typecast as the annoying nerd in high school who will inherit the Earth someday, but that’s only because he’s good at acting and also maybe a bit of a nerd. One of the things he hates is Mark Zuckerberg, and that’s something we can all get behind. Plus, Eisenberg has proven to be a brilliant screenwriter and director, completely separate from his talents as an actor. In fact, by the time he retires, he will probably have earned multiple Oscars in multiple categories, at least if the Academy does its job correctly.
But onto the well-earned negativity. In an interview with the newsletter Air Mail, the Social Network star was asked a couple of dozen questions, many of which revolved around his least favourite things. When asked to name his least favourite habit in other people, he said murder. When asked to name his least favourite gift, he said cufflinks for a tuxedo. Neither of these are particularly controversial takes. Who wants cufflinks?
There were some surprises, though, such as his dislike for the number three (11 is obviously the worst number), his disgust for fried dough, and his hatred of pastel colours. He also admitted to hating school buses as a form of transport (fair enough) and the ‘Happy Birthday’ song (who doesn’t?). He also claims that the only movie he ever walked out of was his own. All in all, his list is almost as relatable to Cate Blanchett’s avowed hatred of leaf blowers and Hugh Grant’s unbridled rage towards people who walk slowly on pavements.
One thing Jesse Eisenberg does like that might be a bit controversial is standing in refrigerators. In an interview with NPR in 2025, the director of A Real Pain revealed that, throughout his 20s and 30s, he would indulge himself by removing all the shelves from his refrigerator and standing in it. Apparently, he liked the claustrophobia and the potential that he might get locked inside.
“I’m really familiar with the fridge,” he said. “I know how to take out shelves and – you know, because I did it recreationally for a while.”
This isn’t exactly relatable (and please, for the love of God, do not try this at home or anywhere else), but there is something delightfully innocuous and amiable about a person who will simultaneously admit to having walked out of their own movie and to having a dangerous infatuation with the interior of their own refrigerator. In an age of celebrity oversharing, I’d like Eisenberg to overshare significantly more.
