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Nicholas Hoult Reacts to Elon Musk Sharing His Image as Nikola Tesla: “Clearly a Very Convincing Performance”
Jan
In a humorous social media exchange, actor Nicholas Hoult poked fun at Tesla CEO Elon Musk after Musk mistakenly shared a photo of Hoult as Nikola Tesla from the film The Current War, rather than an actual image of the famed inventor.
On Dec. 27, Musk posted about Tesla’s namesake on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “We named @Tesla after Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest engineers ever. He was a penniless immigrant whose inventions led to American dominance in electricity generation and usage.” Alongside his tribute, Musk included a still of Hoult portraying Tesla in the 2019 film.
Hoult responded with playful sarcasm, quoting Musk’s post and adding, “Clearly a very convincing performance I gave here.”
Hoult as Tesla in The Current War
Hoult portrayed Nikola Tesla in The Current War, a historical drama that explored the intense rivalry between Thomas Edison (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), and Tesla over the adoption of direct current (DC) versus alternating current (AC) systems in the United States.
The film, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and produced by Martin Scorsese, was initially slated for release in 2017 but was delayed due to the Weinstein Company scandal. It eventually hit theaters in 2019 to mixed reviews, with Entertainment Weekly giving it a B-grade. Hoult’s portrayal of Tesla stood out, especially considering the character’s historical significance and prior portrayals by actors like David Bowie (The Prestige) and Ethan Hawke (Tesla).
Hoult’s Busy Year
Hoult’s witty response comes during a high point in his career. Recently, he starred in Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (a surprising holiday hit), and The Order. In 2025, Hoult is set to debut as Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.
Given Musk’s penchant for referencing pop culture and his frequent online presence, it seems Hoult’s comedic timing couldn’t have been better. And with Lex Luthor—another tech billionaire-inspired character—on the horizon, perhaps Hoult’s dive into Musk’s social media habits serves as perfect research for his upcoming role.
For now, Hoult seems content to revel in the mistaken identity moment, letting Musk’s accidental endorsement highlight his “convincing” portrayal of Tesla.
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