Which actor plays Louis B. Mayer in David Fincher's Mank?

Arliss Howard plays Louis B. Mayer in David Fincher’s Mank (2020). Howard portrays the powerful MGM studio chief during the Hollywood period surrounding Herman J. Mankiewicz’s work on Citizen Kane.

Mank moves between 1940, when Mankiewicz is dictating the Citizen Kane screenplay, and earlier episodes from his career. Mayer appears in the flashback storyline as a major figure in the studio system, including at a birthday gathering attended by Mankiewicz, Marion Davies, and William Randolph Hearst. These scenes place Mankiewicz inside the social and industrial world that shaped his writing.

Louis B. Mayer was a real film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, established in 1924. Under his leadership, MGM became one of Hollywood’s dominant studios, famous for its concentration of major stars, directors, and producers. The historical Mayer was known for exercising considerable control over studio production and personnel.

Howard is sometimes confused with Mank’s other prominent supporting performers. Gary Oldman plays Herman Mankiewicz, Charles Dance plays William Randolph Hearst, and Tom Burke plays Orson Welles. Howard’s Mayer is a dramatized portrayal within a film that blends documented history with interpretation.