Armie Hammer in ‘The Social Network’ Inspired a 2024 Olympian
Samantha Bergeson
Armie Hammer's role in 'The Social Network' inspired 2024 Olympic gold medal U.S. men's four rowing team member Justin Best.
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IndieWire
Armie Hammer may be exiled from Hollywood, as he self-proclaims, but the controversial actor is back on TV…at least, by way of Olympic gold medalist Justin Best.

Best, who recently followed in the women’s gymnastics team’s footsteps by winning a gold medal as part of the U.S. men’s rowing team, credited Hammer’s portrayal of twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss in “The Social Network” as the inspiration for him becoming a professional rower. The Winklevoss twins’ lawsuit against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, is captured in the David Fincher Oscar-winning film, as well as their rowing exploits.

“So I was in between sports and I was going into my freshman year of high school and I had gotten a concussion in football and I was like, ‘No more football,’” Best told People from the Olympics Team USA house. “And obviously the Winklevoss twins are portrayed, and they are rowers by nature. And so my parents were like, ‘Hey, Justin has a similar body type to the actor who portrayed them.'”

That actor, of course, was mostly Hammer. Body double Josh Pence did act alongside Hammer for certain scenes, with Hammer’s face being digitally replaced onto Pence’s body.

Best continued, “So [my parents] Googled rowing clubs and signed me up for Learn to Row in northern Delaware and Wilmington, called Newport Rowing Club. And got my first week with rowing camp.”

In real life, the Winklevoss twins competed in the 2008 Olympics as rowersm, in the men’s coxless pair competition. Best’s win was the first U.S. victory in the men’s four rowing competition in 64 years. Best won gold alongside teammates Liam Corrigan, Michael Grady, and Nick Mead.

“The Social Network” screenwriter Aaron Sorkin confirmed during “The Town” podcast that he is attempting to greenlight a sequel film. “I blame Facebook for January 6,” Sorkin said in 2024, before teasing of the project, “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”

Sorkin previously told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that he wanted to pen a script that exposed “the dark side” of Facebook. “I think what has been going on with Facebook these last few years is a story very much worth telling,” Sorkin said, “and there is a way to tell it as a follow-up to ‘The Social Network,’ and that’s as much as I know.”