Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, has appeared as himself in movies and TV shows before. But in the upcoming 2026 film Artificial, Musk will be portrayed by actor Ike Barinholtz. Interestingly, Barinholtz has openly said he has no plans to meet Musk to prepare for the role. Speaking at the 2025 Emmy Awards, the actor revealed that instead of shadowing Musk, he has been immersing himself in Musk’s public appearances and interviews. His reasoning is simple: Musk is already “famous enough,” and watching hours of his interviews is more than enough to capture the essence of his character.
Preparing without meeting Elon Musk
When asked about reaching out to Musk, Barinholtz said, “I’m okay. He’s famous enough where you get it.” Instead of direct conversations, the actor explained he’s been “poisoning [his] brain” by watching numerous interviews to absorb Musk’s mannerisms and personality. He believes that Musk’s unique speech patterns, humor, and public persona are well-documented, making personal interaction less necessary. By relying on this wealth of material, Barinholtz feels confident he can bring authenticity to the performance without a face-to-face meeting.Barinholtz is set to star alongside Andrew Garfield, who plays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Yura Borisov, who plays co-founder Ilya Sutskever. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, Artificial dramatizes the 2023 leadership crisis at OpenAI when Altman was briefly ousted and later reinstated. With such a high-profile cast and director, the film is expected to spark interest well beyond tech circles, as it touches on themes of power, ambition, and the risks of artificial intelligence.Asked about the pressure of portraying Musk, Barinholtz joked, “I hope if he puts me into a gulag, it’s one with a lot of my friends, that way we can have a party.” His remarks highlight both the intensity of playing such a well-known figure and his lighthearted approach to handling it. For Barinholtz, humor is also a way to manage the scrutiny that comes with portraying someone as polarizing and globally recognized as Musk. He admitted that while the challenge is daunting, it also pushes him to be more creative with the role.
Elon Musk’s connection to OpenAI
Though Musk left OpenAI in 2018 over disagreements about its direction, his presence remains central in the story of the company. The film will likely explore his role in its early days while focusing on the power struggles that shook the AI world in 2023. Musk’s early funding and vision helped set the foundation for OpenAI, even if he later clashed with its leadership over its shift toward commercialization.The growing feud between Musk and current OpenAI leadership, particularly Sam Altman, has kept his name tied to the company long after his departure. This makes his portrayal in Artificial significant, as it will shed light on how Musk’s influence shaped the trajectory of one of the most influential AI labs in the world. For audiences, it offers not just a glimpse into the corporate drama but also the personalities who have defined the AI revolution.