Sebastian Stan Opens Up About His Role As Donald Trump

Sebastian Stan, finest recognized for his function as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, lately stepped into one among 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 Nineteen Seventies and Eighties New York Metropolis, exploring the ambition, energy struggles, and private controversies that formed his early profession.

Sebastian Stan’s portrayal affords a better have a look at Donald Trump’s early life, capturing the complexities of the person who would later develop into probably the most polarizing figures in fashionable political historical past.

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

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

“Unquestionably, the person in orange, proper? Donald Trump, positively the toughest,” Stan stated, per People, with a wry smile earlier than acknowledging the challenges of his Golden Globe-winning function. “And that isn’t to decrease why I’m up right here proper now speaking to you. I feel this in itself is de facto troublesome. There was an enormous threat when it comes to what it speaks to and attempting to stroll into any individual else’s sneakers who has extra -osis, like Adam Pearson. In order that had its personal challenges as properly, and I wished to try this proper.”

Stan continued, reflecting on the weight of playing such a controversial figure. “However when it comes to once I look again on the sleepless nights and the duty that I really feel I carried—and nonetheless really feel—it’s about ‘The Apprentice’ and desirous to do the most effective 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 opinions 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 every of 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 during which he behaved very otherwise in the direction of me than he had throughout our marriage,” Ivana stated, as reported by The Guardian. “As a lady, I felt violated … I referred to this as a rape, however I don’t need 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 shall 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, shouldn’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 collection however in the end couldn’t participate on account of difficulties to find an acceptable pairing. The candid admission, reported by Buzzfeed, sheds gentle on the challenges actors can face when tackling initiatives with complicated or delicate subject material.

“They have been too afraid to go and speak about 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 variety of nice issues.”

Stan clarified that no single particular person was accountable for the missed alternative. As a substitute, he urged that representatives and publicists could have been hesitant to interact in discussions concerning the movie’s themes. “We couldn’t get previous the publicists or the individuals representing them as a result of they have 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 Totally different Man,” successful the latter over notable contenders comparable to Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel LaBelle, Hugh Grant, Jesse Plemons, and Glen Powell.

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

“Our ignorance and discomfort round incapacity and disfigurement has to finish now,” Stan stated passionately. “Now we have to normalize it and proceed to reveal ourselves to it and encourage acceptance in our youngsters. A method we are able to do that’s by persevering with to champion tales which might be inclusive.”

Each “The Apprentice” and “A Totally different Man” are actually accessible to lease or purchase on-demand, permitting audiences to expertise the highly effective performances and necessary narratives Stan has delivered to life on display.