Actor Sebastian Stan shared the immense challenges he faced while preparing to take on the role of Donald Trump in The Apprentice, directed by Ali Abbasi, during a conversation at The Hollywood Reporter’s Actors Roundtable. Stan opened up about the personal and professional obstacles he encountered, including intense pressure, panic attacks, physical transformation challenges, and an unexpected decision from the director that added complexity to his already demanding task.
When asked about the moments in which he felt most vulnerable to failure, Stan didn’t hold back. “I was having panic attacks every night. There was not enough time to gain weight, and the prosthetics test failed badly, so I was f*****,” he revealed. The physical transformation required for the role proved to be far more difficult than he had anticipated, and the clock was not on his side. The prosthetics test, which would have been critical for his portrayal, didn’t work as expected, leaving him in a difficult position. However, the biggest shock came when, just two weeks before filming began, Abbasi informed Stan of a major casting shift. “Originally, I was going to cast a woman to play Trump,” Stan shared, which added yet another layer of pressure and uncertainty to the already stressful process.
Despite these challenges, Stan took a deeply personal approach to his portrayal of Trump. He explained how his own immigrant experience became a vital aspect of his understanding of the American dream, which Trump’s persona embodies in a complicated, often controversial manner. “I had a personal thing with the American dream because I came to this country from Romania when I was 12, and my father helped people escape illegally. I had heard all about the American dream and have been trying to this day to figure out what this dream is and what it gives us and what it takes away,” Stan said. His connection to the concept of the American dream not only gave him the emotional drive needed for such a role but also provided a deeper layer of insight into Trump’s story. Rather than focusing on the surface level of Trump’s persona, Stan used this personal reflection to explore what the figure represented on a more universal, human level.
Stan’s collaboration with Abbasi, who brought a unique outsider’s perspective to the project, was central to the film’s development. Abbasi, who fled Iran and now works in Europe, approached the film with a fresh, unbiased perspective. His experiences as an immigrant and outsider gave him a particular insight into the story of Trump, which he wanted to tell without falling into political or ideological traps. Stan credited Abbasi’s bold, fearless approach to filmmaking for helping him embrace the role without judgment. “Abbasi is European, who’d fled Iran, who’s fearless and whose last film was all about his previous country, coming into this with a fresh perspective, not wanting to play for any team, just removing all judgment,” Stan noted. Abbasi’s ability to remove judgment and create an environment where both actors and the audience could explore Trump’s character without bias was pivotal in crafting a more nuanced portrayal.
Stan’s approach to Trump’s character was not about glorifying or demonizing the figure, but rather understanding the complexity of his persona. “Can we just try to find out who the hell this person [Trump] is? What’s beneath this character?” Stan asked. He went on to explain that, when you strip away the layers of Trump’s public image, you uncover a more vulnerable and troubled person. “When you peel back the layers, you get to the core of a powerless child who has been enacting a sort of vendetta of revenge that we’ve all been subjected to, to no end,” Stan elaborated. By approaching the character with this mindset, he hoped to provide audiences with a more empathetic and humanized view of the former president, rather than just playing to the sensationalized aspects of his public persona.
Actor Colman Domingo, who also participated in the Roundtable for his role in Sing Sing, praised Stan’s commitment to removing judgment from his portrayal. Domingo admired Stan’s ability to give the character depth and humanity, noting, “When I watched what you [Stan] did, I thought, ‘Oh, he’s taken away any judgment [of Trump].’ I thought that was exceptional because everyone has an opinion about him, but you’re like, ‘No, I’m going to do the soul work.’” Domingo’s comment underscored the rarity of such a performance, where the actor does not impose their own political or personal biases but instead focuses solely on the emotional and psychological depth of the character.
Stan concluded his thoughts by reflecting on the broader role of actors and artists in society, particularly in the current political climate. “I think that we as artists, as actors, have to keep reflecting the times that we’re in as best as we can, no matter how ugly they are,” Stan said. This statement reflects Stan’s understanding of the power of film and performance in shaping public discourse, even if the subjects are as divisive as Donald Trump. His commitment to truthfully reflecting the complexities of the character, without shying away from the uncomfortable or controversial, speaks to the power of storytelling in its most authentic form.
The Apprentice, which is set to explore the complexities of Donald Trump’s character, promises to be a bold and unflinching portrayal, largely due to Sebastian Stan’s commitment to understanding the character from the inside out. The film, which focuses on Trump’s rise to power and the personal factors that shaped his public persona, will benefit from Stan’s nuanced and deeply introspective performance. With Abbasi’s guidance and Stan’s fearless dedication to the role, The Apprentice aims to provide a multifaceted and thoughtful examination of one of the most controversial figures in modern history, offering a portrayal that goes beyond the headlines to reveal what lies beneath.
