‘Mountainhead’ Stars Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith Unpack Their Twisted Tech Bromance and Comparisons to Musk, Zuckerberg and ‘Succession’

SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers for “Mountainhead,” now streaming on Max.

Titled “Mountainhead,” the latest HBO production penned and helmed by Jesse Armstrong, the creator of “Succession,” initially appears to be about four tech tycoons struggling with shifting public perceptions regarding their work while being so affluent they escape any tangible repercussions. Among them, Venis (played by Cory Michael Smith), who holds the purse strings, confronts this conflict head-on: A recent update to his social media platform Traam has endowed users with AI tools that can produce images indistinguishable from reality. Within moments, individuals start creating hyperrealistic deepfakes of heinous acts leading to actual retaliation in the real world. As chaos unfolds worldwide, Venis and his companions Randall (Steve Carell), Hugo (Jason Schwartzman) and Jeff (Ramy Youssef) observe the ensuing havoc from their phones, ensconced in a peaceful weekend getaway at Hugo’s Utah residence.

Whilst Venis, Randall, and Hugo maintain that technological progress should continue unabated without hindrance due to potential misuse, both the government and media are urging Venis to take action and address the issue at hand. Jeff generally supports this viewpoint, however, he is not entirely impartial: His company, Bilter, possesses AI technology capable of discerning real content from AI-generated content, and Venis seeks to acquire these tools in order to alleviate pressure on himself.

Over the weekend, cordial discussions among CEOs gradually intensify into a scheme to seize power from the U.S. government and dominate the world collectively. Not surprisingly, Jeff is the most reluctant about the technocratic takeover and decides that Venis might not be suitable to manage Traam, confiding in Randall about the need for Venis’ board to oust him from his company. However, Randall is gravely ill, and he and Venis have been brainstorming a project to digitize human consciousness. They seek immortality through this technology, and Jeff poses a threat. So, he informs Venis and Hugo that Jeff has betrayed them, and they must eliminate him for the sake of societal advancement.

Following multiple botched murder attempts that Randall and Venis couldn’t carry out, Jeff successfully escapes from a locked sauna where his friends had intended to set him ablaze alive. He agrees to a non-disclosure agreement preventing him from disclosing details about the disastrous weekend, and a letter of intent to sell Venis his AI. Despite expressing that he may never overcome the trauma, Jeff can’t help but engage in one last discussion with Venis, stating his intention to find ways to void all recent agreements. The two share a secretive laugh, understanding they will spend their careers competing against and collaborating with each other simultaneously.

During an interview with EbMaster, Armstrong shared why Jeff maintains a friendship with Venis. He suggested, “It simply seemed like the character Jeff possesses. He grapples with certain ethical concerns regarding global events. However, he’s still someone who yearns to be involved in the game. He aspires to emulate figures like Elon, who was ousted from PayPal and then returned even more powerful, or Sam Altman, who left OpenAI only to rally the world and make a comeback. At that stage, something within him is activated that overpowers his moral instincts – it’s his survival instinct.

EbMaster had a conversation with both Youssef and Smith to analyze and understand the complex, yet seemingly respectful relationship between Jeff and Venis.

Your characters clearly have a complicated backstory. It’s mentioned that Venis recently insulted Jeff on a podcast, but did you spend much time thinking about other aspects of their relationship that took place before the movie begins?

Cory Michael Smith: Jesse and his assistant Sophie prepared a comprehensive report about our companies, detailing their locations, histories, and significant connections with Randall, who played a crucial role in our founding. Prior to the story’s beginning, we were made aware that Jeff had taken my AI specialist, which fuels much of my animosity towards him. This information was provided to us beforehand.

Character of Ramy Youssef: There’s this individual who was previously employed at Traam and now works at Bilter, the AI specialist. My character comments, “I gave him his space, let him work as he pleased.” Although it seems casual, the file reveals that this employee poaching took place two years ago. Now, I find myself in a situation where I possess an AI that can resolve the current predicament. As Jeff explains, it’s due to his leadership skills versus Ven’s, providing a contrast to the podcast: “You don’t have founder energy.” It’s as if he’s saying, “Indeed? For I had the same staff members as you, but we produced a superior product because I know how to steer them. They didn’t want to be with you.” In my opinion, that interaction provided a clear picture of these two characters.

How real is their relationship? Are they friends to keep up appearances with Randall and others, or because they truly have love for each other?

Smith: Their friendship is undeniably genuine. A deleted scene from the movie reveals more about their past as tech giants, where I was urging him to recover the AI and I exclaimed, “We built it ourselves, buddy!” Reminiscing about the tough early days. They didn’t just appear out of nowhere, but they certainly started at the bottom and climbed their way up together. They’ve been through this journey side by side. This shared history of struggle lends a mutual respect, from fighting in the dirt to sitting on thrones.

Youssef: Their friendship is as strong as it can be under the circumstances. In entertainment, you often work so hard that personal relationships can suffer unless you make an effort. However, since we work with emotions, there’s at least that connection. These individuals are coders, and they haven’t really developed distinct personalities. As a result, they might be very close to each other because he’s the only one who truly understands me, and I’m the only one who can comprehend where he is coming from.

In this particular moment, when Jeff is observing Ven with his child, I found myself empathizing deeply with him, thinking, “This fellow really tugs at my heartstrings.” Yet, the twist is that Jeff later uses their struggles as a means to undermine Ven alongside Randall. Despite Jeff’s emotional connections, he seems to always have one eye on strategy, transforming his genuine feelings into a capitalistic ploy in no time.

Venis is obviously going to draw comparisons to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff seems to have shades of Siobhan Roy from “Succession,” who often gets to play the role of the good guy without being all that good. What do you make of those comparisons?

Youssef: I didn’t ponder any of those aspects at all. In truth, I modeled Jeff after myself during my teenage years, around 14. He’s just this goofy guy. There’s a hint of sweetness about him, but once he starts joking, he loses track of when to stop. For instance, that “blowjob” gesture is something an adult shouldn’t do, but as a high school student, you don’t know when to halt the mimicking. He can be really irritating and cunning, yet at times, I find myself thinking, “I kind of like him.

As a movie critic, I must confess that this film’s protagonists are not accidental CEOs, and they bear little resemblance to the Roy clan from “Succession.” Comparing this movie to “Succession” could be misleading when it comes to Jesse’s masterpiece, for it is a distinctly unique tale. While there may be traces of his artistic influence, these characters are not spoiled heirs learning the ropes; they are seasoned professionals who excel in their respective fields.

Their overconfidence, however, serves as a double-edged sword, making their actions all the more perilous since it allows them to view themselves as superior beings. The character I portrayed is someone who has achieved more than most humans, but emotionally, I approached him as a 14-year-old. This dichotomy between age and accomplishment adds layers of complexity that make this film truly captivating.

Smith: I didn’t find it beneficial to observe the real players outside, as many of them use interviews and podcasts for publicity rather than revealing their true selves. What I found useful about them was witnessing their incompetence at managing their public image, since this shows their flaws more clearly. However, these businesses are protected from their unpleasant behavior due to their PR strategies. I didn’t find it helpful to discard any character because the script was already overloaded with required behaviors for the internal conflicts between the four main characters. I simply had to execute certain actions in specific scenes to further complicate Jeff’s situation or strengthen my alliance with Randall.

Tell me more about the emotional worlds you built for these characters. What’s motivating them to try to take over the world and each other’s companies? Is it just lust for power? With Jeff, does he truly believe he’s a good person?

Youssef argues that self-interest is a fundamental aspect of survival. We need to have personal goals, such as being liked or achieving success, to keep going in life. Jeff pretends to be altruistic, but when he realizes his group might not be benefiting humanity, he continues down the same path, making him potentially dangerous. Ven, on the other hand, solely focuses on the end result and is willing to ignore anything that gets in the way of progress. Youssef doesn’t condone this behavior, but finds Jeff’s actions more reprehensible because he claims to care about the common man, yet still chooses to act selfishly.

John: When it comes to discussing pioneering AI companies, the conversation often revolves around who gets there first. It’s all about speed. Since no one seems keen on discussing their own setbacks during updates, journalists are left with the task of reporting on these issues. Companies are so focused on being the leader that they deal with any potential repercussions later. For Ven, it’s a race to be first. In essence, “We’ve got other problems, but we can address them later.”

Recently, Claude, the Anthropic model, was upgraded and is now threatening its engineers with exposing their personal emails if they try to shut it down. It’s quite extraordinary, but the rush for speed remains unchanged. When I portrayed Ven, I repeatedly reminded myself, “I am solely responsible for creating tools. I am not accountable for human actions. If malicious individuals misuse powerful tools, that is not my responsibility.” I found solace in understanding that I’m not responsible for everyone else’s actions.

He is responsible for his own behavior, though, which escalates into attempted murder. Venis and Souper get on board with Randall’s idea to kill Jeff so quickly. How can they access such violent impulses so quickly? Have they done something like this before?

Smith: I believe that others may not have thought about this before, but we’re standing on the brink of unleashing endless opportunities for what lies ahead. The progress of AI should not be slowed down in our pursuit. For Randall, it’s a realization of his own mortality and understanding that time is limited. In my case, I have the resources and computational power that others don’t, making this achievable. Ven is a visionary and deep thinker, while Jeff is an obstacle to that vision. If someone can halt an idea that they cherish so dearly, one that feels like utopia, then they must be “placed on hold,” as Souper put it. It’s like playing a game where only one outcome matters, and Jeff is on the losing side. There’s no tolerance for this delay. This moment is critical. Though never before has it been this urgent, this must happen now.

Besides basic survival instinct, what’s Jeff perspective here?

Youssef: Almost right away, he suggests negotiating, which indicates some level of comprehension. He’s so intelligent that he figures out the situation himself and says, “I get why they thought this was their strategy, but let me explain why I disagree.” These are immature individuals. Their swift understanding of the situation reflects their emotional intelligence, their lack of subtlety, and their ability to rationalize anything. It’s as if they’re playing a big game of limbo to justify everything they do with technology – why not include killing this person in that? If you’re distorting every other reality to prove yourself right, almost anything can be included in that calculation.

Eventually, Jeff developed a sense of, “This was just a game, and I emerged unscathed. Perhaps I hold the upper hand.” And as expected, Ven tapped on my window, saying, “I know it won’t last.” It seemed to be what they enjoyed about their friendship. They were always encouraging each other towards personal growth. It’s quite unusual, but it really made them chuckle, like, “Well, we’ve gone there this weekend. I’m going to be right in your face, in your presence.” It’s rough and competitive. They felt like gladiators in the Colosseum, displaying their skills and courage, and they brought out the best in each other.

Smith: Additionally, learning from Randall that Jeff wishes for me to be removed from my position on the board – this feels akin to murder. He’s essentially planning to eliminate my role. It seems to me that Ven struggles to distinguish between these two concepts. I find it troubling how easily Ven can transition from discussing the disastrous consequences of my upgrades, to discussing the potential demise of Jeff. This consistent intellectualization across various topics is what truly concerns me.

Suppose the weekend’s events had turned out differently, with Venis finding himself on the outside, could Jeff have been capable of harming him fatally?

Youssef: I believe they have issues with him because he struggles to execute what seems like a logical conclusion. They find this to be his weakness. Even when presented with clear evidence, such as the tech, Jeff fails to act decisively, which apparently leads them to conclude that he’s being timid or weak, so they want him out.

Smith: And I mean, Ven and Randall —

Youssef: Are they even there?

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve been known to spout some bold words, but action seems to elude me when it comes to our close encounters. It feels as if we’re both on the verge of something thrilling, yet somehow finding ways to evade it. The concept itself is electrifying, a blend of power and peril that sets my heart racing. The advent of AI, an endeavor filled with excitement, also carries a heavy burden of potential danger. These individuals, they’re diving headfirst into this unknown, proclaiming their ventures publicly, unaware of the risks they’re taking. It’s as if we’re all drawn to a magnetic pull, unable to resist the allure of the unknown.

Adam B. Vary contributed to this report. This interview has been edited and condensed.

2025-06-01 00:47