Sebastian Stan‘s performance in The Apprentice seems to finally be getting the recognition it deserves. After delivering two standout performances in 2024, including one in A24’s A Different Man, Stan has garnered multiple award nominations for his role in Ali Abbasi’s biopic, culminating in a Best Actor nomination at the 2025 Oscars. This surprising turn of events comes for a movie that almost didn’t reach audiences and reflects a transformative moment in Stan’s career, who recalls being told he would never win anything for The Apprentice.
Although Stan is thriving in this awards season, the journey has not been without its challenges. He faced significant hurdles in securing a distributor for the Donald Trump biopic, along with legal battles that almost prevented the film’s release. Furthermore, reports surfaced detailing how Stan had to withdraw from Variety’s Actors on Actors series due to concerns from other actors’ representatives about discussing the controversial subject. However, during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Awards, Stan took a moment to express his gratitude for being nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his compelling role in The Apprentice.
Stan reflected on the arduous process of getting the film into theaters and the skepticism he encountered regarding its awards potential. “We are deeply, deeply grateful to obviously have had this recognition. It was just hard afterward. You never knew. It was so uncertain. You couldn’t expect anything ever. I had many people say, ‘Well, you’re never going to win anything for this.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, sometimes it’s not just about that.’ It just felt like it was important,” he shared.
The timing of The Apprentice‘s release, coinciding with a presidential election year, brought about considerable pushback and controversy surrounding the film, as well as for Stan, who courageously embarked on this creative endeavor despite the topic being somewhat taboo in today’s climate. With this Oscar recognition, Stan now sees an opportunity for a wider audience to engage with the film, as he hopes it will encourage viewers to gain a fresh perspective on the narrative and the tumultuous times in which we live: “Now the movie gets seen, more people can go in there. They can continue to look and try to understand. Because we have to understand. That’s the one thing. This is not a situation where we can be indifferent, or we can bury our heads in the sand and wait to wake up and then see what happens. It’s happening now, and we’re living in a world where you’ve got billionaires who are telling you how to think and how to feel, and everyone’s screaming at each other if you’re thinking differently. And this is just about forming your own opinion and being able to have the courage to say that. So that’s why I admire the movie.”
Throughout 2024, Stan has emerged as a strong contender in the industry, showcasing his versatility with both the Oscar-nominated performance in The Apprentice and the critical acclaim he has received for A Different Man. His ability to portray complex characters has set him apart, although it does not signal the end of his involvement with Marvel Studios. He is also set to star in the ensemble superhero film Thunderbolts, scheduled for release this summer, indicating that Stan remains a driving force not just in independent cinema but across the mainstream landscape as well.
