Sebastian Stan opens up about his Donald Trump role in the latest biopic The Apprentice

Sebastian Stan plays Donald Trump of the the 1970s and '80s in The Apprentice, when he was a real estate businessman. Playing Trump as a young man with upended ideas wasn't a piece of cake, the Winter Soldier actor recently put forth during a Variety Awards Circuit podcast.

While Stan plays Donald Trump in the film, Jeremy Strong is cast as Roy Cohn, who helped the current US President-elect during his rise to fame. The Apprentice is directed by Ali Abbasi, who recently directed the last two episodes of the TV series, The Last of Us. The Apprentice has been nominated for several awards since its release including Palme d'Or at Cannes, besides Best Actor for Stan and Best Supporting Actor for Strong at the Golden Globes. However, the film is yet to win a major award.

Playing The Apprentice role was a tough call for Sebastian Stan

Not the global hit Captain America: The Winter Soldier or the award-winning A Different Man, Sebastian Stan says playing Donald Trump in The Apprentice has been his "hardest" role till date. He elaborates during his interview with Variety Awards Circuit podcast:

“This film has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Not just because of the complexities of playing Trump, but because of the reaction it provokes."

Sebastian Stan pulled it off, but owing to scheduling issues ended up missing the chance to work in The Brutalist, which is now a top contender at the Oscars. But it wasn't just the role of Donald Trump that was a hard nut to crack. It's what has followed afterwards that he has had to deal with.

He was scheduled to appear on the talk show, Variety Studio: Actors on Actors, but no one wanted to talk about Donald Trump. So, there was no actor with whom he could converse for the show. Then, an enraged Trump showed his detestation for the film on a social media platform named Truth Social.

Ali Abbasi, upon coming across the enraged response, requested Donald Trump to talk further on the matter. Trump appeared in full swing to take the film and the crew down, adding that he might file a lawsuit against The Apprentice. Abbasi, however, believed Sonald Trump would like film if he watched it.

The Sebastian Stan film has been praised critically and currently, garnering 7.1 out of 10 ratings on IMDb and an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, critics such as Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian weren't really high upon watching it.

The Apprentice is in contention at several upcoming awards ceremonies, including Screen Actors Guild Awards, British Academy Film Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and more. Sebastian Stan's performance as Donald Trump is among nominations, too, as is Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn.