'The Apprentice' almost had a female Donald Trump!
Sebastian Stan, who has received accolades for his portrayal of US President-elect Donald Trump in Ali Abbasi's The Apprentice, recently revealed that the director had first thought of casting a woman for the part. Speaking at THR Actors Roundtable, Stan revealed this shocking detail about Abbasi's initial casting vision. He also spoke about his own struggles in preparing for the role, including quick weight gain and anxiety.
Stan's weight gain and anxiety for Trump's role
Stan spoke about the physical transformation he had to go through to play Trump. "There was not enough time to gain weight. The prosthetic test really failed, badly," he said. Stan added that director Abbasi told him about his initial casting plan (of roping in a woman) only two weeks before they started filming. Stan humorously recalled his reaction, "And I am looking at him, 'Why are you telling me two weeks before! I'm gonna die!'"
Stan's diet and health concerns during filming
To quickly gain weight for his role as Trump, Stan turned to eating tons of ramen and Coca-Cola. The drastic dietary change resulted in heightened anxiety and health issues for the actor. He confessed, "I was having panic attacks every night. I'm a hypochondriac." "My LDL levels had gone up, the cholesterol," he added, detailing the physical toll of his preparation for The Apprentice.
Stan's unexpected recognition during 'The Apprentice' filming
Stan also shared a hilarious story from the shooting of The Apprentice at Trump Tower. Someone recognized him, not as the actor playing Trump, but "as that Marvel guy." Stan is famous for playing Bucky Rogers aka The Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, he disclosed that he is most often recognized for his role in the musical miniseries Daisy Jones & the Six.
'The Apprentice' explores Trump's past, faces censorship issues
The Apprentice explores Trump's history in the 1970s and 1980s as a real estate tycoon in New York City. The movie also stars Jeremy Strong as attorney Roy Cohn and Maria Bakalova as Trump's late former wife Ivana Trump. Although it was released in the US in October, the film's India premiere was delayed by the Central Board of Film Certification over demands for certain modifications and removal of explicit scenes.
