Elle Man [via Google Translate]
Note: for the accompanying photos click here: Session #167 – Mathieu Rainaud
Elle Man [via Google Translate]
Note: for the accompanying photos click here: Session #167 – Mathieu Rainaud
Sebastian Stan has just starred in Cartier’s new campaign for the Santos de Cartier line. The actor shared his special affection for the iconic watch and his appreciation for the brand.
Sebastian Stan is an actor and producer who rose to fame with his diverse roles in Ridley Scott’s The Martian (2015) and Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya (2017). In 2022, his performance in the hit miniseries Pam & Tommy earned Sebastian Golden Globe, Emmy, and Critics’ Choice nominations.
At the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, Sebastian Stan won his first award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical . He was also awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 74th Berlin Film Festival, and received the Nouvel Hollywood Award at the Deauville Film Festival for his role in A Different Man (2024).
Sebastian Stan recently appeared in an image campaign for the Santos de Cartier watch line. The actor shared his special attachment to the Santos line in particular, as well as his admiration for the Cartier brand.
Can you share more about your connection with Cartier watches?
Sebastian Stan : To this day, I still enjoy watching classic movies from the 40s and 50s, and I am particularly impressed by the elegant fashion style of this period. I found it very interesting that many actors chose to wear Cartier watches. These designs possess a timeless beauty, both sophisticated and natural. It is not difficult to understand why these creations still retain their appeal today. I have been with Cartier for many years, and to me, the brand’s creations always have a classic mark, never out of fashion.
What do you look for in a watch?
Sebastian Stan : I always think a watch should go beyond telling the time to say something about you. When I wear a watch, I also get rid of the need to look at my phone to check the time. That’s what I like about wearing this accessory on my wrist. But more importantly, a watch also has to have a presence. It’s not just the look, weight and style, but also the feeling when you wear it on your wrist.
What attracted you to Santos de Cartier?
Sebastian Stan: The Santos de Cartier is most appealing for its bold style and iconic design. I particularly love the versatility of this piece, which can be worn with both formal and casual outfits.I usually wear the Santos de Cartier slightly loose, enjoying the movement of the piece on my wrist. It is a pleasure that I cannot do without when accompanying the Santos de Cartier every day. In fact, I have long been fond of this collection and have always been fascinated to see its continuous development. The new versions, especially with black dials and titanium, exude a strong, masculine energy. I am impressed by the way Cartier continues to experiment with materials and harness the industrial spirit in its designs. This is a clear testament to the Maison’s strong creativity.
What does time mean to you in life and work?
Sebastian Stan: Time is one of those things we can’t control, and that’s why it’s so precious. In my career, I’ve always believed that timing is key, from choosing roles, waiting for the right project, to learning to be patient with the whole process. In life, I try to live fully in every moment, and my watch is a reminder to appreciate that value every day
Note: for the accompanying photos click here: Session #167 – Mathieu Rainaud
What do you think of when you hear the name Sebastian Stan? Does the Winter Soldier’s hulking silver arm come to mind? Tommy Lee’s freaky soul patch? That abusive husband from I, Tonya with the questionable pedo-stache? Or perhaps more recently, the pursed lips of a young Donald Trump?
Maybe you think of all of those things when you hear his name, or maybe you think of neither of those things. But it’s undeniable—the man is a shapeshifter. His versatility stretches the boundaries of what is expected of a modern actor, rivalled only by the likes of a handful of contemporaries (shoutout to you, Robert Pattinson).
But I digress—if you look closely, there’s a pattern that emerges in the roles he gravitates toward. Stan tends to take on characters who carry history and notoriety. His performances depict these people from a different time in the past, usually during the peak of their infamy. He is, quite simply put, drawn to the allure of the past. It helps that he’s good at it, too. Some of his best and most iconic works have come from portraying these characters.
His turn as Tommy Lee in Hulu’s hit series Pam & Tommy earned him a nomination for the Critics’ Choice Award’s Best Actor in a Limited Series award. His portrayal of a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice, most recently, bagged him a slew of nominations from the Academy, BAFTA, and the Golden Globes.
In case you’re curious, the film charts his journey as a young real estate businessman under the tutelage of cutthroat lawyer Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong. It’s a dramatised look into how Cohn’s ruthless tactics for wealth and power trickled down to Trump, eventually leading him down the path to becoming the uncurbed president we know today.
Why does Stan love slipping into the skins of men from another time? We can’t say for sure—but one clue might be his obsession with classic Hollywood cinema. The period of the ‘40s and ‘50s in particular captivate him, not just for the performances, the filmmaking, or atmosphere, but for the style. Watching those old reels with grains that seemed to dance, he noticed a familiar object gleaming on the wrists of actors he admired: Cartier watches.
So he started wearing them himself. The Santos de Cartier collection holds special appeal for him—not just for its iconic design thick with historical richness, but for its versatility. Pair it with a dapper suit or wear it slightly loose with a linen shirt on a casual Sunday—it’ll work. Over time, it has become a bedrock of his personal style, which he admittedly feels he cannot leave the house without.
Knowing all this now, it makes perfect sense for Stan to join the Maison as a friend of the house. Earlier this year, he fronted the campaign of the Santos de Cartier petite model debut, which was revealed during Watches and Wonders in Geneva. Just four months later, he’s back under the bright lights of the studio to help unveil two striking new additions to the Santos family: Santos Titanium and Santos Black Dial.
At first glance, the Santos Titanium looks like its steel siblings, but put it on and you’ll feel it is anything but that. Its titanium construct not only gives the watch a matte sheen, but also allows it to weigh 43% lighter and 1.5 times harder than steel.
The Santos Black Dial, on the other hand, flips the equation completely. Its large frame is constructed of steel, but where it sets itself apart is with its half-satin, half-sunburst dial that grants the watch the ability to catch and play with light as it moves across the velvety surface, giving the darkness a sense of depth. I mean, come on, who doesn’t like a black Cartier dial. But what does the man himself think of the new pair?
“They both have a strong, masculine energy,” he says. “I’m really into how Cartier explores materials and plays with that hardware aesthetic— I think it reflects the Maison’s creativity in a powerful way.”
I’ll leave you to admire Stan in all his Cartier-loving glory.
But enough about the Santos, let’s zoom out for a moment. This is, after all, a watch column, but watches aren’t just about design. They’re about time.
Sweating it out for the perfect role, waiting for the right project, learning to be patient with the process of filmmaking—time has pressed itself onto every milestone of Stan’s career, as it does so to every last living soul. But time is an unrelenting and cruel thing, and it runs through our fingers no matter how tightly we grip our fists. For Stan, it’s this very thought that gives meaning to our lives.
So he doesn’t think too much about it—or at least he tries to, by staying present in the moment. In this sense, the watches he wears cease to become a mere time-telling machine on his wrist, but a reminder of the value of time. Well, how does he like his reminder to look like? Besides having a square case with exposed screws, of course.
“For me, it needs to be something with presence,” Stan says. But that presence has to come from within, because beyond its design, it’s about how it makes you feel when you wear it. That, in turn, radiates that energy outwards, telling others something about you with just a glance.
But if you want the more pragmatic reason, it’s this: “I also like having a watch because otherwise, I’m constantly checking my phone.”
I’ve added 8 UHQ/untagged photos of Sebastian from VH1 Morning Buzz hosted by Nick Lachey that took place in 2014 during ‘Winter Soldier’ promotion to the gallery, click below to view.
Surprise! I found a short interview of Sebastian from Berlinale Film Festival last year talking about ‘A Different Man‘. I’ve added screencaps to the gallery and a video of the interview below. Enjoy.
I’ve added25 UHQ/untagged photos of Sebastian from “Roofman” – New York Special Screening that took place last night to the gallery, click below to view.
Entertainment Weekly – The “Thunderbolts*” and “Gilmore Girls” stars were in the running for the future CW hit — plus more secrets from casting.
Before there was Paul Wesley’s Stefan on The Vampire Diaries, there was Sebastian Stan.
For I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries — a new book out Sep. 9 — author and Entertainment Weekly’s own executive TV editor Samantha Highfill somehow managed to find new intel after years of reporting on the hit CW show. That includes some factoids on the casting process for leads Stefan and Damon.
In an exclusive excerpt from the book, key members of the show’s team reveal that Stan (the future Marvel superstar behind the character of Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier) took a meeting for the role of Stefan, the brooding vampire hottie eventually portrayed by Wesley on The Vampire Diaries.
At the time, Stan was on “that movie with all the hot boys” — the phrase series co-creator Julie Plec uses to describe 2006’s The Covenant, which also starred Steven Strait (The Expanse), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), and Toby Hemingway (In Time). Stan also read for the role of Damon, Ian Somerhalder’s future part, while Strait was considered for Stefan too. Stan had to bow out, however, over commitments to Kings, the 2004 King David-inspired NBC drama.
As Highfill reports in her book, another name considered for Stefan included Nathaniel Buzolic (the future “Original” vampire Kol Mikaelson), while Matt Czuchry (Gilmore Girls), Jesse Bradford (Bring It On), and Travis Van Winkle (The Last Ship) were in conversation for Damon.
[…]
GREG ORSON: There was a meeting with a star for Stefan.
LESLI GELLES-RAYMOND: It was Sebastian Stan. He came over to meet, so we got to spend some time chatting with him. It was very cool. We were totally interested in him, and he was discussed at the studio the first time we tested Stefan, but we couldn’t do it because he was tied to another show when this happened, so it didn’t work out. He was tied to Kings.
[…]
LESLI GELLES-RAYMOND: For a while, their dream cast would’ve been Steven Strait [for Stefan] and Sebastian Stan [for Damon], because Sebastian also read for Damon. That was Stefan and Damon for a while. But Sebastian was on Kings, so that wasn’t going to work out.
Surprise! I managed to get my hands on a French Blu-Ray Copy of ‘The Apprentice‘ that featured the full EPK interview for the film. I’ve added screencaps to the gallery and a video of the full almost ten minute EPK interview below. Enjoy.
The Hollywood Reporter – The free-spirited iconoclast also plans to next shoot a movie “about immigration and about Romanians working abroad.”
Romanian auteur Radu Jude (Kontinental ’25, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World) is world premiering his much-anticipated new feature, Dracula, at the Locarno Film Festival on Sunday, but he is already writing a movie about a popular character from another iconic horror novel – Frankenstein. And none other than Marvel Cinematic Universe star Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice, A Different Man, Pam & Tommy, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is set to star in it.
“I’m writing a film now,” Jude tells THR. “It’s a Frankenstein film in Romania. Frankenstein in Romania, it’s going to be called.”
Stan and the iconoclast previously discussed their interest in a collaboration, but Jude didn’t immediately have an idea. Then he pitched the star, who was born in Romania before moving to the U.S. with his mother, his idea for the Frankenstein film, which Stan liked, according to Jude. The auteur tells THR that he envisions Stan playing “both roles,” that of Victor Frankenstein and his monster.
The story is understood to combine the real-life existence of a secret CIA prison in Romania in the past with the legend of the Frankenstein monster.
Guillermo del Toro’s dark reimagining of Frankenstein, featuring Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, a Netflix production, was recently unveiled as being part of the selection for the Venice Film Festival competition lineup.
Auteur Jude has had a busy 2025. Earlier this year, he world premiered Kontinental ’25, an absurdist comedy-drama about Romania’s housing crisis and the country’s conflicted middle class, at the Berlin Film Festival. It ended up winning the Silver Bear for best screenplay.
Jude world premieres Dracula, his dissection of the Dracula myth that is full of the black comedy for which he has developed a reputation, in the main competition program of the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland later on Sunday afternoon. “This film features scenes that could shock the sensitivity of some viewers,” the fest website notes.
After Locarno, Jude plans to shoot another film. “It’s like a very distant dialogue with The Diary of a Chambermaid, the novel by [Octave] Mirbeau,” the auteur tells THR. “I want to speak about immigration and about Romanians working abroad. It’s about a woman who works for a French family in Bordeaux while her own small daughter remains home. So it’s a film around these dramatic issues.”
That means its tone will be less Dracula-ish. “It’s more comparable to Kontinental ’25 in a certain way; it’s a bit more serious,” Jude explains. “I’m interested in exploring this connection between the Western world and Romania and Eastern Europe through the story of a character.”
Something I really liked in the end. So I’m also going to do a Frankenstein in Romania, with Sebastian Stan, who invited me to work together.
Sebastian contacted me a while ago, he said he would like to collaborate, but I had no idea. Finally, I thought, while I was working on the sound for Dracula , that I could propose a film that would start from the reality of the CIA prisons in Romania, from 20 years ago, and combine these ideas with another cinematic myth, that of the Frankenstein monster. Sebastian said yes , so I started writing the script, but it will take some time.
Why did you think of it? Is it also a marketing strategy?
Because I really appreciate him, he’s a great actor and he seems like a very curious guy, so I said: why not?
It’s important to admit, maybe it’s not very sexy for me to say this, but I don’t have any kind of ideal or dream project that I obsessively think about. If I have an idea, I try to do it, if I can, that’s all.
I’ve added 7 new photos to the gallery UHQ/Untagged of Sebastian at Miami Film Festival GEMS Honors Sebastian Stan With Precious GEM Award. These photos are from Miami Dade College.