Months before Donald Trump secured a second Presidential term, theSebastian Stan-ledThe Apprenticepremiered at Cannes. Stan stars as Trump in Ali Abassa’s biopic that follows the US President’s early career as a real estate businessman in 1970s and 1980s New York City, focusing on his relationship with influential and controversial attorney Roy Cohn, who later became Trump’s mentor. Right from the start, the film sparked its share of criticism from Trump critics (who argued the movie humanized Trump) and the divisive President and his camp, alike.
Despite the mixed feelings surrounding the movie, Stan delivers a remarkably nuanced performance, which earned the actor a Golden Globe nod and now his first-ever Oscar nomination. Stan shared an appropriately patriotic response to achieving the latter honor (viaThe Hollywood Reporter):
“I’m speechless. I’m humbled. I guess this is what they mean by the American dream. I’m so grateful to everyone who made the impossible possible. Thank you for this brave recognition.”
Stan will face off against Adrien Brody (who won a Golden Globe for his work onThe Brutalist), Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, and Ralph Fiennes. For his portrayal of Cohn, Strong was recognized in theBest Supporting Actor category alongside Guy Pearce, Yuriy Borisov, Edward Norton, and Kieran Culkin.
‘The Apprentice’s Rocky Path to the Oscars
The Apprenticepremiered at Cannes in May, and Abbasi shared that he sought to show how Trump’s early experiences shaped him, arguing that he didn’t think Trump would necessarily dislike the movie. He was wrong.The Apprenticefaced immediate backlash from the Trump campaign -one particularly brutal scenein the film draws from an incident discussed in the couple’s divorce proceedings that was later disavowed by ex-wife Ivana Trump. Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung threatened:
“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked. As with the illegal Biden Trials, this is election interference by Hollywood elites, who know that President Trump will retake the White House and beat their candidate of choice because nothing they have done has worked.”
The film faced difficulties securing US distribution, but eventually landed in US theaters on August 03, 2025, just one month before the US Presidential Election. As we now know (and could have expected), the film did not sway enough votes to cost Trump the presidency.
The Apprentice Distributor Slams Networks as Cowards After Controversial Decision
ABC and CBS have made a decision regarding the upcoming Donald Trump biopic and the presidential debates.
The Apprenticeis now returning to theaters, beginning with select locations today, Friday, January 31. It is written by Gabriel Sherman. Maria Bakalova stars as Ivana Trump alongside Stan and Strong.
While Stan’s nod forThe Apprenticeis certainly deserved, the actor delivered another stunning performance this year that some feel should have been the role to earn him the nod. In A24’sA Different Man, Stan stars as Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes disfigurement due to the growth of benign tumors. He undergoes a treatment that alters his appearance, but “his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare.“Stan earned a Golden Globe for Best Actorin a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) for the role.A Different Mandid snatch some Oscars love, securing a nod in the Best Make-Up and Hairstyling category.
The Apprentice
