The 'Steve Jobs' Cast on the 'Unlikable' Yet 'Genius' Steve Jobs the Man

The new biopic Steve Jobs doesn’t necessarily paint a flattering portrait of the late tech visionary. As played by Michael Fassbender, Jobs is often portrayed as cold and calculating, a businessman so determined to succeed that his colleagues, friends, and family members suffer as a result.

Still, the director and cast of the film have nothing but the utmost respect for the former Apple and Pixar CEO, who passed away in 2011. “He’s like Henry Ford, but multiplied by a thousand,” said Fassbender, referencing the Ford Motor Company auto innovator (watch above). “He was a game-changer, he changed the way we live.”

Related: The Cast and Crew of ‘Steve Jobs’ Are Terrible With Technology

Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) describes Jobs as “completely compelling… and not that likable. I mean, if you look at all the evidence that you’re meant to assess about him, many, many people found him deeply unlikable, yet everyone felt compelled to remain in an orbit around him.”

And according to Jeff Daniels, who plays John Sculley, a father figure who also clashed often with Jobs: “They stayed because of that genius. Because he was right. Because he could almost damn near predict the future.”

Steve Jobs is now in theaters. Watch the cast talk about their rule-breaking biopic: