How Sebastian Stan Transformed Himself Into Trump For The Apprentice

Sebastian Stan is considered one of the sexiest actors in Hollywood and his ability to bring depth to a wide range of characters is unmatched. He's one of the few actors who doesn't shy away from transforming himself to bring a character to life. From playing the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to portraying rocker Tommy Lee in the hit Hulu series "Pam & Tommy," the actor has made it clear that he would do anything to bring authenticity to his roles. However, playing Donald Trump in "The Apprentice" pushed Stan to explore Trump's persona presented a lot of new challenges for the actor.

In the movie, Stan plays a young Trump as he meets lawyer Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong) in the early '70s. Cohn played a pivotal role in making Trump a real estate giant and prominent figure amongst the tabloids. The film also explores an era where Trump underwent a vast physical transformation, which is why Stan had to take drastic measures to look like him. In an interview with USA Today in October 2024, the "Ghosted" star revealed how a nutritionist helped him achieve a look similar to Trump's. Stan noted that he ate a lot of sushi and ramen to gain some extra pounds. Additionally, the star was told to add soy sauce and salt to gain weight in his face.

"I said, 'How do I get more bloated in the face?' He said, 'Start eating as many carbohydrates as you can. You should be eating a lot of sushi and ramen with a lot of soy sauce and salt,'" Stan told USA Today. But Stan's transformation didn't stop there.

Gaining weight to play Donald Trump was only one aspect of Sebastian Stan's transformation. The real challenge began when he had to embody Trump's mannerisms and tone of voice. Anyone who has ever witnessed Trump speaking knows the way he talks, walks, and styles his hair is unique to the man himself. As a result, Stan had to watch a lot of videos to learn more about the businessman and his physicality. In an interview with Variety in September 2024, the "Thunderbolts" actor noted that he watched more than 600 videos to understand Trump's nature and speech patterns.

"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. I started to realize that I needed to start speaking with my lips in a different way," Stan told Variety. After making a lot of changes to his lifestyle, Stan managed to attain a look that's eerily similar to Trump's and deliver a performance that's created a lot of buzz amid award season. The film opened to positive reviews, with audiences praising Stan and Jeremy Strong for their performances. Stan's commitment to the role proves why he is one of the finest actors working in the industry right now.