Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk in Artificial, and he has described the tone he was chasing: a figure who feels threatening to those around him but, seen from far enough away, borders on absurd. Deadline reported his comments, which came from an interview with Discussing Film.
Playing Musk before the cameras were on
Barinholtz said he portrays Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, during a period when the public saw him as something like the next Tony Stark. That helped, he suggested, because the film's scenes with Musk take place out of public view, so no recorded footage exists to copy.
The approach, as he laid it out, was to make Musk register as menacing for the people in the room. Pull back, though, and the effect changes. "It does seem a little ridiculous," Barinholtz said.
About the film
Artificial is a Neon release set to open on Christmas Day. Andrew Garfield stars as Sam Altman, the OpenAI CEO. Simon Rich wrote the script, which follows the board's firing of Altman and his rehiring, all within five days in November 2023.
The supporting cast includes Yura Borisov, Monica Barbaro, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Chris O'Dowd, Mark Rylance, Zosia Mamet, Cooper Koch and Billie Lourd.
Why it matters
Portraying a living, famous figure in private moments leaves an actor room for interpretation. Barinholtz's remarks suggest the film treats Musk with a mix of unease and satire, though audiences will have to wait for the release to see how that balance plays.
Reporting sources: Deadline, “‘Artificial’s Ike Barinholtz Teases What Makes His “Menacing” Elon Musk Performance “A Little Ridiculous””.