‘Paranoid, Scared Little Man’: Apprentice’s Sebastian Stan slams Donald Trump ahead of US election

Last updated:Nov 5, 2024 1:09 PM IST

Sebastian Stan described Doanld Trump as “paranoid” in a recent interview ahead of the November 5 vote in the US presidential election.

Sebastian Stan plays the young Donald Trump in The Apprentice. (Photo credits: Instagram)

Sebastian Stan recently criticized Donald Trump, the Republican candidate in the US presidential election race, ahead of the November 5 elections. The actor, who plays a young Trump in the controversial film The Apprentice, described the former president in a recent interview as a “paranoid, scared little man” who “doesn’t care about your situation.” During his appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Stan encouraged viewers to watch the film to truly understand the character.

The actor pointed out that while facts and information are widely shared, they do not reflect the personal experience of being with someone like Trump. “It’s the experience of being with this person for two hours and seeing where they come from, and then at the end of this movie really asking yourself, ‘Do you trust this person? Do you really trust this man to make a decision that will be good for you or for him?” he said.

Stan continued, “And let me tell you something: There is a paranoid, scared little man who is still fighting the good fight to join the Manhattan membership club and be put on a plaque on the wall. He doesn’t care about your situation. It’s that he has to get there first. And that’s exactly what the movie is.”

Sebastian Stan acknowledged that some viewers might question the film’s credibility and expressed concerns about the widespread uncertainty surrounding the truth today. Stan called it a “problem” and said Trump has “mixed it up so much” that it has become difficult for people to understand what is real. “You can create your own truth at this point, believe whatever you want, and that’s what people do. But I think if you really care about it, you can still find it,” he added.

When asked about the potential consequences of making The Apprentice and speaking out against Trump, Stan acknowledged the risks involved, especially given the likelihood of Trump’s re-election and his vow to seek retribution against those who oppose resisted him. He revealed that many people had advised him against making the film.

“I mean, you know very well that Jimmy Kimmel asked me if I still have my Romanian passport because he (Trump) tried to deport American citizens. As he (Kimmel) just said, ‘It sounds like Europe is going to be the place for me.’ But then again, I don’t believe in fear… Again, I come from a place where people were silenced and taught to live in fear. And that was another reason why I thought, ‘I have to do it,’” he said.

Directed by Ali Abbasi, The Apprentice explores Donald Trump’s rise as a real estate businessman in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s, and his relationship with attorney Roy Cohn. The film stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, with Jeremy Strong as Cohn, Martin Donovan as Trump’s father Fred and Maria Bakalova as his first wife, Ivana.