Sebastian Stan Reveals Intense Toll of Playing Donald Trump in ‘The Apprentice’: ‘Every Night…’

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual violence that some readers may find distressing.

Sebastian Stan has revealed the grueling time he had when he was preparing to shoot for The Apprentice . The actor disclosed how he would prepare for the role by looking at Donald Trump ‘s clips all day long on his phone. Speaking to Variety , the star said, “I had 130 videos on his physicality on my phone. And 562 videos that I had pulled with pictures from different time periods — from the ’70s all the way to today — so I could pull out his speech patterns and try to improvise like him.”

Adding on, Stan also said, “Every night I would go home and try not only to prepare for the day that was coming but also to prepare for where Ali [Abbasi, the director of The Apprentice] was going to take this.” Giving insights about his routine and how the making of the biopic impacted him, Stan also shared with Today how his REM cycle was all over the place.

“Well, [you] try to get sleep, which I didn’t. There’s a lot of research out there, there’s a lot of footage and documentaries. It’s pretty much been very well documented, his sort of rise into what we see today.” Furthermore, the 42-year-old Hollywood star added, “And to me, it’s like playing an instrument. You sit at the piano, you get better at it with practice, and eventually, you can just kinda do it in your sleep.”

The movie, which is going to be released on October 11, revolves around the businessman-turned-politician’s rise to power and his monopoly on real estate back in the 70s and 80s. The actor expressed how he had to be very well prepared to know how exactly the realtor-turned-Republican would react to a certain situation while filming. Therefore, Stan would read and watch several videos of the former President to learn about Trump’s mannerisms.

The movie is also not bereft of controversies as is its real-life protagonist. A scene in the movie shows the protagonist allegedly raping his then-wife Ivana Trump . But Donald’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, retaliated, “This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked,” attacking the wrong depiction of the ex-POTUS in his biopic. According to Vice , in the biographical book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump authored by Harry Hurt III, the instance of an alleged rape is detailed in a chapter. However, on the first page of the book, Ivana stated, “I referred to this as a ‘rape,’ but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.”

The biopic, which was earlier premiered in Cannes, received an astounding 11-minute long standing ovation. The movie’s cast includes Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Martin Donovan, Catherine McNally, and Charlie Carrick, among others.

SEXUAL ASSAULT: If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673).