The Signature Donald Trump Mannerism The Lead Apprentice Actor Struggled To Mimic

With a superlative performance in "The Apprentice," actor Sebastian Stan has made it clear that he is one of the finest actors working in the industry right now. The movie, which sees Stan playing the younger version of former U.S. President Donald Trump, encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone and do something astonishing. The star did a lot of preparation to look as unique as Trump in the movie and bring authenticity to his portrayal. Even though he transformed into the businessman in remarkable fashion, there was one particular mannerism of Trump that proved difficult for him to replicate.

To look as distinctive as Trump, Sebastian Stan transformed. Despite going through a massive physical change, the "A Different Man" star found it tricky to replicate Trump's facial expressions while talking. In an interview given to People in October 2024, the actor noted that even though playing a real-life person comes with a lot of advantages, there are certain situations where things can get really dicey. One such moment happened when the actor tried moving his mouth while speaking, just like Trump. So, he made sure to keep it subtle and not overdo it.

"So it was sort of fine-tuning and trying to not ignore it entirely, but also not overdo it," Stan told People. Judging by the reactions, it's seemingly clear that Stan nailed this particular aspect and delivered a stunning performance.

Even though the film received favorable reviews, former President Donald Trump has openly condemned his portrayal in the film. Trump didn't hold back in showing his frustration and posted a lengthy statement on social media to bash the filmmakers. In a statement posted on his Truth Social account, he criticized the creators for releasing the movie right before the Presidential election. Trump wrote, "A FAKE and CLASSLESS Movie written about me, called, 'The Apprentice' (Do they even have the right to use that name without approval?), will hopefully 'bomb.'" Honestly, it doesn't come as a shock that the 2024 Republican nominee feels disgusted about a movie that shows him in a bad light and makes things worse for his campaign.

This was not the first time Trump or his supporters had denounced the film as being fake and tasteless. In May 2024, he said something very similar when the communications director of Trump's campaign called this film an "election interference by Hollywood elites." On the contrary, Sebastian Stan believes that Trump's criticism of the movie was intended to be threatening. Despite the war of words, the film has been released worldwide and nabbed a lot of eyeballs. It's unclear if the movie and Trump's controversial portrayal in it would influence the voters in the upcoming election. Nevertheless, the film has done what it intended to: spark a debate.