"Social Network" star Jesse Eisenberg visited the Thirsty Scholar in Somerville today.

By George P. Hassett

There’s a Somerville connection to Hollywood’s most controversial upcoming release. Barroom scenes in “The Social Network” – about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg – were filmed in The Thirsty Scholar on Beacon Street in 2009. Today, the film’s star Jesse Eisenberg visited the local Irish pub surrounded by publicists for a private, locked door affair.

Thirsty Scholar owners Jerry Brennan and Patrick Cross outside of their bat, soon to be featured on the big screen.

Thirsty Scholar owners Jerry Brennan and Patrick Cross said they’re excited to see their pub on the big screen. Site scouts selected the pub from a list of more than 30 locations.

“They said they preferred to shoot the bar scenes in Los Angeles,” said Cross. “But the bars out there were like Home Depot, they said, they needed a place with more character.

The bar, open since 1996, was converted to a movie set and it “looked like another Friday night at The Thirsty Scholar,” said Brennan.

“We can’t wait to see it,” he said. “Hopefully the outside shot of the bar made it into the final cut.”