Sebastian Stan Says People Told Him It's 'Not Safe' to Play Donald Trump, Which He Found 'Weirdly Motivating'

Mar. 15, 2025

Maria Bakalova and Sebastian Stan in “The Apprentice”.Photo:Pief Weyman

Pief Weyman

Sebastian Stanreceived warnings before portrayingDonald Trumpon the big screen, but that didn’t deter the actor from pursuing the role.The actor portrays an ’80s-era Trump inthe new filmThe Apprentice, alongsideMaria Bakalova as first-wife Ivanaand Jeremy Strong as the future president’s mentor, lawyer Roy Cohn.Stan, 42,toldEntertainment Weeklythat people tried to convince him not to sign on to play the controversial figure.“I had people tell me not to do it. I had people tell me I don’t look like him. I had people tell me that it’s not safe for me to do it. I had people say that I shouldn’t try to alienate half the country,” said the actor, known for his Marvel role as Bucky Barnes, a.k.a the Winter Soldier.He found the warnings and fear surrounding the part “weirdly motivating.” Gabriel Sherman, who wrote the film, toldEWseveral actors passed on playing Trump because they were “too scared.“Sebastian Stan on Sept. 17, 2024.Dominik Bindl/GettyStan and his costar,Succession’s Strong, 45, say the movie isn’t meant to “vilify” Trump, 78, who is currently running for president again, up against Vice PresidentKamala Harris.“This is a movie about two human beings, not about two villains or monsters. I don’t think the movie attempts to vilify these people. I think it attempts to understand where they came from and how they became who they are,” said Strong.Stan added, “In some ways, it’s sort of a love story. One of my favorite things was what [Jeremy] said at the very beginning, which was, ‘I’m playing a guy named Roy, and you’re playing a guy named Donald.’ “AfterThe Apprenticepremiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Steven Cheung, a communications director on the Trump campaign,spoke out against the movie and threatened legal actionover “blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.“Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan in “The Apprentice”.Pief WeymanNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked,” Cheung added in the statement at the time. “This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store. It belongs in a dumpster fire.“Other actors who have memorably portrayed Trump onscreen include Alec Baldwin forSaturday Night LiveandBrendan Gleeson onThe Comey Rule.The Apprenticeis in theaters Oct. 11.

Sebastian Stanreceived warnings before portrayingDonald Trumpon the big screen, but that didn’t deter the actor from pursuing the role.

The actor portrays an ’80s-era Trump inthe new filmThe Apprentice, alongsideMaria Bakalova as first-wife Ivanaand Jeremy Strong as the future president’s mentor, lawyer Roy Cohn.

Stan, 42,toldEntertainment Weeklythat people tried to convince him not to sign on to play the controversial figure.

“I had people tell me not to do it. I had people tell me I don’t look like him. I had people tell me that it’s not safe for me to do it. I had people say that I shouldn’t try to alienate half the country,” said the actor, known for his Marvel role as Bucky Barnes, a.k.a the Winter Soldier.

He found the warnings and fear surrounding the part “weirdly motivating.” Gabriel Sherman, who wrote the film, toldEWseveral actors passed on playing Trump because they were “too scared.”

Sebastian Stan on Sept. 17, 2024.Dominik Bindl/Getty

Dominik Bindl/Getty

Stan and his costar,Succession’s Strong, 45, say the movie isn’t meant to “vilify” Trump, 78, who is currently running for president again, up against Vice PresidentKamala Harris.

“This is a movie about two human beings, not about two villains or monsters. I don’t think the movie attempts to vilify these people. I think it attempts to understand where they came from and how they became who they are,” said Strong.

Stan added, “In some ways, it’s sort of a love story. One of my favorite things was what [Jeremy] said at the very beginning, which was, ‘I’m playing a guy named Roy, and you’re playing a guy named Donald.’ "

AfterThe Apprenticepremiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Steven Cheung, a communications director on the Trump campaign,spoke out against the movie and threatened legal actionover “blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”

Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan in “The Apprentice”.Pief Weyman

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked,” Cheung added in the statement at the time. “This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store. It belongs in a dumpster fire.”

Other actors who have memorably portrayed Trump onscreen include Alec Baldwin forSaturday Night LiveandBrendan Gleeson onThe Comey Rule.

The Apprenticeis in theaters Oct. 11.

source: people.com