Sebastian Stan's Struggle To Portray Donald Trump In "The Apprentice"

Sebastian Stan has revealed that attempts to use makeup and prosthetics in a bid for him to resemble Donald Trump in The Apprentice "turned out terribly." This admission highlights the challenges actors face when taking on iconic roles, especially when portraying figures as divisive and recognizable as Donald Trump. The film, directed by Ali Abbasi, explores Trump's early years as he built his real estate empire in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s, all under the mentorship of his controversial lawyer, Roy Cohn, played by Succession star Jeremy Strong.

While the movie touches on Trump's ambitions that would later culminate in his presidential campaigns, it notably avoids depicting his time in office or the contentious elections of 2016 and 2020. Instead, it dives deep into his formative years, shedding light on the influences that shaped his business acumen and public persona. With the film hitting theaters on October 11, Stan took to the Happy Sad Confused podcast to discuss his experiences in this challenging role.

During the podcast, Stan reflected on the pressure of living up to an iconic character and the fear of judgement from the real Donald Trump. He expressed that while the thought of Trump possibly watching the film crossed his mind, it didn’t dictate his performance. Stan spoke candidly about his makeup tests, stating that they often felt like failures, which added to the complexity of portraying someone so widely scrutinized.

In a particularly controversial scene, The Apprentice portrays Trump in a disturbing light, depicting his tumultuous relationship with his then-wife, Ivana Trump, played by Maria Bakalova. The film highlights the complexities of their marriage, particularly against the backdrop of significant public allegations. In her 1990 divorce deposition, Ivana claimed she had been sexually assaulted by Trump, but she later retracted this assertion during Trump's presidential campaign in 2015, stating that the story was "totally without merit."

As the film continues to spark discussions, Donald Trump himself has reacted strongly, labeling it a "disgusting hatchet job." He took to social media to voice his disdain, describing the film as a cheap and defamatory attempt to undermine his political movement. In a fiery statement, he claimed that the makers of The Apprentice were trying to damage his reputation just before the 2024 Presidential Election.

Amidst the backlash and controversy, the movie has garnered attention for both its bold portrayal of Trump's early life and the challenges faced by the cast in bringing such a polarizing figure to the screen. As audiences head to theaters, the film promises to ignite conversations around Trump’s legacy and the ethical considerations of portraying real-life figures in cinema.

As the discourse surrounding the film unfolds, it serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between art and reality and how portrayals of public figures can have lasting repercussions on both the individuals depicted and the societal narrative at large.