Sebastian Stan Opens Up About His Role As Donald Trump

Sebastian Stan, greatest identified for his function as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not too long ago stepped into one in all his most difficult roles but: portraying a younger Donald Trump within the movie “The Apprentice,” written by Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abbasi.

The movie dives into Trump’s rise as an actual property mogul in Seventies and Nineteen Eighties New York Metropolis, exploring the ambition, energy struggles, and private controversies that formed his early profession.

Sebastian Stan’s portrayal presents a more in-depth have a look at Donald Trump’s early life, capturing the complexities of the person who would later turn out to be probably the most polarizing figures in fashionable political historical past.

On the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, the place Stan accepted the trophy for Finest Efficiency by a Main Actor in a Musical or Comedy Movie for his function in “A Completely different Man,” he was requested about his most difficult function thus far.

With out hesitation, he pointed to “The Apprentice.”

“For sure, the person in orange, proper? Donald Trump, undoubtedly the toughest,” Stan mentioned, per People, with a wry smile earlier than acknowledging the challenges of his Golden Globe-winning function. “And that’s not to decrease why I’m up right here proper now speaking to you. I feel this in itself is basically tough. There was a giant danger by way of what it speaks to and attempting to stroll into someone else’s sneakers who has extra -osis, like Adam Pearson. In order that had its personal challenges as effectively, and I wished to do this proper.”

Stan continued, reflecting on the weight of playing such a controversial figure. “However by way of once I look again on the sleepless nights and the accountability that I really feel I carried—and nonetheless really feel—it’s about ‘The Apprentice’ and desirous to do the very best that I can to honor the boss division and to supply additional perspective on one thing that I feel we’re all inevitably having to do.”

When the movie first premiered on the Cannes Movie Competition in Might 2024, it was met with each reward and controversy — and people critiques continued after its official launch in October 2024. Its unflinching portrayal of Trump’s private {and professional} life features a deeply unsettling scene involving Trump, performed by Stan, and his first spouse, Ivana, portrayed by Maria Bakalova.

One in all the scenes draws from Ivana Trump’s 1990 divorce deposition, the place she described a distressing encounter together with her then-husband. “On one event throughout 1989, Mr. Trump and I had marital relations through which he behaved very in another way in direction of me than he had throughout our marriage,” Ivana mentioned, as reported by The Guardian. “As a lady, I felt violated … I referred to this as a rape, however I are not looking for my phrases to be interpreted in a literal or prison sense.”

After the Might premiere, Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump marketing campaign, issued a press release to People, claiming, “We will probably be submitting a lawsuit to handle the blatantly false assertions from these fake filmmakers.”

“This rubbish is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies which were lengthy debunked,” Cheung added, referring to the rape scene. “This ‘movie’ is pure malicious defamation, mustn’t see the sunshine of day, and doesn’t even deserve a spot within the straight-to-DVD part of a discount bin at a soon-to-be-closed low cost film retailer. It belongs in a dumpster hearth.”

Throughout a November 2024 screening in Los Angeles, Sebastian Stan revealed that he was invited to take part in Selection’s famend Actors on Actors sequence however in the end couldn’t participate resulting from difficulties find an acceptable pairing. The candid admission, reported by Buzzfeed, sheds mild on the challenges actors can face when tackling initiatives with advanced or delicate material.

“They had been too afraid to go and discuss this film, so I couldn’t do it,” Stan shared on the November 19 occasion. “And it doesn’t matter, that’s OK. It’s to not level a finger at anyone — I’ve received to do a number of nice issues.”

Stan clarified that no single particular person was accountable for the missed alternative. As a substitute, he recommended that representatives and publicists might have been hesitant to have interaction in discussions concerning the movie’s themes. “We couldn’t get previous the publicists or the individuals representing them as a result of they had been too afraid to speak about this film,” he defined.

The acclaimed actor was nominated twice at Sunday’s ceremony: as soon as for his function in “The Apprentice” and as soon as for “A Completely different Man,” profitable the latter over notable contenders equivalent to Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel LaBelle, Hugh Grant, Jesse Plemons, and Glen Powell.

In his acceptance speech, Stan addressed the profound affect of “A Completely different Man” and the societal attitudes it confronts. Calling it “not a simple” film to make, he emphasised the necessity for higher understanding and illustration.

“Our ignorance and discomfort round incapacity and disfigurement has to finish now,” Stan mentioned passionately. “We’ve got to normalize it and proceed to reveal ourselves to it and encourage acceptance in our youngsters. A method we will do that’s by persevering with to champion tales which can be inclusive.”

Each “The Apprentice” and “A Completely different Man” at the moment are accessible to hire or purchase on-demand, permitting audiences to expertise the highly effective performances and necessary narratives Stan has dropped at life on display.