Sebastian Stan Says Donald Trump 'Should Be Grateful' For Controversial Film The Apprentice

In a recent interview, actor Sebastian Stan, who portrays Donald Trump in the controversial film The Apprentice, suggested the former president, who is once again in the running for the Presidential election, "should be grateful" for the movie's "complex, three-dimensional take" on his life. As per reports, the film focuses on Trump's early years as a real estate mogul in New York, set during the 1970s and 80s. According to a report in BBC, Stan's portrayal has sparked debate, especially as Trump has threatened legal action against the film’s producers, labeling it "fake and classless" and expressing hope it would "bomb" at the box office. Despite these challenges, the film's director, Ali Abbasi, described the experience of making and releasing The Apprentice as "the most challenging thing I've ever done."

The Apprentice was released in the US last week and recently premiered in the UK at the London Film Festival. It is scheduled for wider release this Friday. Stan, in an interaction with BBC said that while the film offers insights into Trump's character, it is not a political statement. "In some small way, I think it could move the needle on how people feel [about] or perceive him, but the film is not a political act, it's a story," he said. The film is almost a serious character study of how Trump's personality was shaped by his mentor, Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong. Stan reflected on the complexity of both Trump and Cohn, noting, "No one is morally completely on the right side or perfect... there are some redeeming qualities as well." Strong added, "The movie is about how Trump was made, in a way... we live in this hyper-polarised world where we see things in terms of heroes and villains, but the world isn't really like that." Ultimately, Stan concluded, "I think [Trump] should be grateful, to be honest. We have pretty much handed him... a very complex, three-dimensional take on his life, and I can't recall anybody else doing that."