Sebastian Stan's portrayal of Donald Trump in 'The Apprentice' has ignited controversy in Hollywood. Despite private praise, actors are hesitant to publicly discuss the film, fearing backlash. The movie faced legal threats from Trump and struggled to find a distributor, ultimately grossing under $5 million.
- Hollywood is silent on Stan's "Trump" role
- There have been legal threats and struggles
- Sebastian opens up on its impact around Tinsel Town
Hollywood's silence on Stan's Trump role
Sebastian Stan, known for his role in 'Avengers,' has found himself at the center of a Hollywood controversy. His portrayal of Donald Trump in the biopic 'The Apprentice' has made fellow actors wary of public association.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sebastian Stan and Director Ali Abassi attended the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/THEAPPRENTICE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#THEAPPRENTICE</a> Screening and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SebastianStan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SebastianStan</a> said he was invited to Variety Actor on Actor interview but couldn't find an actor want to do it with him , because their publicists were hesitated to let them talk about this movie so... <a href="https://t.co/cWRvzx0bHF">pic.twitter.com/cWRvzx0bHF</a></p>— MaggieMinLA (@MaggieMinLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaggieMinLA/status/1859012099231674562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Stan revealed that despite being invited to participate in 'Variety' magazine's "Actors on Actors" series, he couldn't find a partner willing to discuss the film. "I had an offer to do Variety Actor on Actor this Friday, and I couldn't find another actor to do it with me because they were too afraid to go and talk about this movie, so I couldn't do it," Stan stated at a film screening.
"We couldn't get past the publicists or the people representing them," he said. 'Variety' editor Ramin Setoodeh confirmed Stan's account in a statement to 'USA Today'. "What Sebastian said is accurate. We invited him to participate in Actors on Actors, the biggest franchise of awards season, but other actors didn’t want to pair with him because they didn't want to talk about Donald Trump."
As the clip went viral on X, one actor volunteered to speak with Stan and make the interview happen. "I'll do it?" wrote 'Richard Jewell' star Paul Walter Hauser. According to an X post by Setoodeh, though, the latest "Actors on Actors" season has already wrapped.
This reluctance contrasts with private praise he has received from industry insiders.
'The Apprentice' has been embroiled in controversy since its May premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The film depicts a young Trump in a controversial light, including a scene where he allegedly rapes his former wife, Ivana Trump. Despite Ivana recanting her rape allegation in 2015, the film's depiction prompted Trump to threaten legal action.
Director Ali Abbasi, however, dismissed the threat, suggesting Trump might find the film surprising if he watched it. Abbasi also faced challenges securing a distributor for the film post-Cannes, noting the industry's hesitance to engage with potentially troublesome content.
"I don't necessarily think that this is a movie that he would dislike," he said during a Cannes press conference. "I don't necessarily think he would like it. I think he would be surprised. … I would offer to go and meet him wherever he wants and talk about the context of the movie, have a screening and have a chat afterwards."
"I understand it from the business perspective of not wanting to have trouble, but we're not in the business of ice creams," he said. "We're not selling shoes. So yeah, it was shocking."
Despite the buzz, 'The Apprentice' entered theaters in October with minimal promotion, earning less than $5 million domestically.
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Controversy served up
The film's release timing, just before the 2024 Presidential Election, drew criticism from Trump, who labeled it a "cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job." The film's lukewarm box office performance reflects the hesitancy surrounding its controversial subject matter, even as the debate over its portrayal of Trump continues.
