Category: Interviews

Jan

Sebastian Talks ‘Destroyer’ with ScreenRant

ScreenRant.com — We spoke with Stan about his role in Destroyer and how he plays an influential role in Erin’s past, while also threading into the emotional chaos of her present. He revealed what sort of one-on-one research he conducted with real-life undercover detectives to prepare for the role, what it was like working alongside Nicole Kidman, and even how his character differs from – but also relates to – Bucky Barnes in the MCU.

What sort of research is necessary to get into the mind of someone like Chris? Were there any real-life undercover stories that stood out before filming? Or did you prefer to rely more on Karyn’s direction and the script?

No, I always think before we start something is the most critical time, because you’ve got the time – that’s where you’re having the most time to prepare, and once you get to set, it really is about the director and what everybody else brings. But, at the beginning, just looking at the FBI and wondering how does one become an undercover cop? That was the main question. And what kind of background do those people have? What potentially leads someone to make that decision? There’s obviously an addictive quality to the thrill and adrenaline that a life like that entails, so then it says something about what kind of person are we talking about? And you should just keep dialing back, going back as far as you can to what drives a person… I had an FBI agent that I met with; that was very helpful. Kind of got me through the logistics. You know, where you want to go, what you apply for, the kind of training you get. Because there wasn’t a lot said about Chris in terms of his background – I mean, they have that little story in the beginning, but you don’t know how much of that is true and if they’re making it up. It kind of gave me freedom to make some choices. I just knew deep down that I was playing a guy who loses himself enough in his job for another person so much that he’s willing to throw it all right out the window. So, and then- you kind of make decisions from there. You’re kind of just a scavenger, just looking for everything you can find.

Yeah, it seems like everyone in Destroyer is kind of at odds with their identity in some way.

That’s what I loved about the script. I loved that everybody is sort of teetering on the edge of being a good or a bad person, per se; or being thrown in situations where they have to make decisions that are not likable or- and that’s very human to me. That’s what I love about her [Kidman’s] character. We’re seeing a female character that… you know, meeting situations in life, and doing the best that she can, but is still the character that she is; the circumstances of one’s life, what shapes them to be what they are – and how much of that can you let go of or how much of that can you accept or not accept. The demons can grab any kind of person, no matter what they are or where they come from.

Now, if you don’t mind me touching on this a little bit, you obviously play another character who famously struggles with his identity. Bucky Barnes. Did you notice any overlap in how you would approach Bucky’s struggle with identity versus how you approached Chris’?

No.

Kind of just came at it from the same-

[Laughs] No, man. Of course not. Listen, I love Bucky Barnes. I really do. It’s just a very separate entity in a way. For me it is. And I certainly treat it that way. The characters, to me, are very different in terms of kind of the emotional baggage that they carry, per se, or what their emotional intelligence is. Now, you can make some parallels about identity, and a search for questions of identity; wanting to lose oneself or embrace certain aspects of yourself. Maybe that’s something the characters have in common. But, essentially, I was always thought it was a different situation.

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Published by Carol

Published on Jan 20, 2019

Destroyer Interviews Press

Jan

Sebastian Stan talks about working opposite Nicole Kidman in ‘Destroyer’ and playfully dodges some Marvel questions

BusinessInsider.com — Business Insider talked to Stan about that, the steps he took to get in the role for “Destroyer,” and “Avengers: Endgame.”

Jason Guerrasio: Were you as shocked to see how Nicole looks in the present day “Destroyer” footage as we were when that still of the movie came out?

Sebastian Stan: Yeah. I didn’t have any scenes where she transformed. I didn’t experience that firsthand. I only saw that photo once on the internet. It’s really impressive. You are always inspired by those things. And now that we are doing press it’s fascinating to listen to Nicole talk about her process and finding her way into the character. The whole thing to me is a science project. Not one choice wasn’t well thought out. Those are my favorite kind of roles, when you can see someone extremely recognizable and you lose them in the role.

Guerrasio: Well, how was your process for this? You also had to get into a certain mindset.

Stan: On a much smaller scale than her, but it was a little similar. The great thing about the script is it didn’t spell out who these people were. It didn’t tell you much about where they came from or what their lives were outside of the job. So it allowed me to build a whole backstory on my own based on what the guy was doing in the story. Figuring out what kind of guy would lose himself in this scenario.

Guerrasio: Does that include going back and watching old cop movies?

Stan: On something like this you get a good excuse to go back and revisit projects that are inspiring. And I also met with an FBI agent in New York who is a family friend and was able to go through the script with him. That was really helpful because I really wanted to understand what it takes to become an undercover agent and what sort of training you would need. A lot of these guys sometimes have military training, other times they have training on the street. That was one of the decisions I was making with my guy. Ultimately he’s somebody who is more at home while on the job rather than his real life. That’s how it appeared to me. So I kind of created this backstory that he had a bad history with the law when he was younger and then wanting more structure in his life decided to join this line of work using his experience from his past. [“Destroyer” director] Karyn [Kusama] suggested I shave my head and we talked about the tattoos and finding a look for the guy. That was exciting, too.

Guerrasio: How you all play off each other in this movie is one of the thrills. Do things get competitive on set between actors on a movie as intense as this? Will seeing an actor really bringing it across from you make you pick up your game?

Stan: It happens on set. It happens in a way that can be healthy for the movie, and it can also happen in a way that’s not healthy for the movie. We did not have that on this. And I think it’s because you have good actors. This cast, the work speaks for itself. But when it’s an intense scene some of us may keep our distance, but that’s a level of respect. You’re always coming from a level of honoring the other person and their process.

Guerrasio: This is the kind of story that’s not told in movie form anymore. These crime thrillers are more and more finding their way to TV. So how bad did you want this role because on the movie side it’s becoming more rare to do.

Stan: I wanted it very badly. I had done “I, Tonya,” and that was a great experience and I loved every minute of it. I wanted to find a collaborative effort similar to that. But I really thought I wasn’t going to find it. Then I found it with this. I wanted to be a part of it because I respected Karyn and Nicole and I just knew this was going to be a very specific movie.

Guerrasio: You’ve done some great supporting roles, are you gunning for lead actor parts?

Stan: Always. There were a couple of things that almost came my way that would have been great. The opportunity is there. I’m much more interested right now in working with a great director and on a great script and that’s been a priority for me. But I’m looking all the time. Down the line I want to be remembered for being a part of specific works and visions of directors rather than a group of characters. I’m still figuring that out.

Guerrasio: Have to throw out some Bucky questions before I go. (Note: This interview was conducted before the “Avengers: Endgame” trailer was released.) Have you wrapped all your stuff on “Avengers 4”?

Stan: I haven’t worked on anything since two years ago, so no. My character died in the last film. [laughs]

Guerrasio: Ok? How about this one: Are the reports true that you and Anthony Mackie are going to team up for a Winter Soldier/Falcon limited series on Disney+?

Stan: Anthony Mackie and I are going to try to revive “Beverly Hills Cop.” We’re trying to get Eddie Murphy, but he’s not calling us back. It’s been difficult, but hey, you have to keep trying, right?

Guerrasio: I’m getting nowhere with you, am I?

Stan: [laughs]

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Published by Carol

Published on Jan 20, 2019

Destroyer Interviews Press

Jan

Sebastian Stan and Karyn Kusama on ‘Destroyer’ and the Method in Nicole Kidman’s Madness

ETOnline.com — “At some point, I’ve got to ask you about some of your guilty pleasures out there,” Sebastian Stan says off-hand to his Destroyer director, Karyn Kusama. “Because in my head, I feel like you’re watching, like, super f–king amazing horror projects…”

Though Kusama may be best known for her own horror films, including the “really disturbing in a great way” (as Stan put it) The Invitation and the campy Megan Fox cult classic Jennifer’s Body, her tastes are hardly confined to the genre; one of her early films was the Charlize Theron sci-fi spy action flick Æon Flux. “I don’t have guilty pleasures,” she shrugs. “I think Point Break is a masterpiece. I legitimately think it’s a masterpiece.” In fact, her latest film is most like the latter, a pulpy detective drama about LAPD officer Erin Bell (a bewigged Nicole Kidman), who goes undercover to investigate a gang of bank robbers with her partner, Chris (Stan).

(For his part, on the topic of guilty pleasures, Stan shared, “I was working out today and because of this thing with a Boston accent that I’ve been looking up, I ended up watching the Housewives of Boston and I was like, Oh, my God, this is so insane!“) (I pointed out there is no Real Housewives of Boston.)

With Destroyer opening in select theaters on Christmas Day, Kusama and Stan sat down with ET to discuss leaving their comfort zones, what it took to make Kidman look like a meth addict and how hot Stan looks covered in tattoos.

ET: Karyn, you’ve worked in so many different genres — you did sci-fi early on and then moved into horror and television. This feels like something new. What was it about this story that called out to you?

Karyn Kusama: A couple of things. Practically, I was excited to make a movie in L.A., which is my home and I have a family here and I collaborate with my husband, who was one of the writers of the script. I have a dog! [Laughs.] I felt like it was a nice way to be committing to working in my hometown — which a lot of that TV that you mentioned doesn’t allow me to do. I was [also] really drawn to this labyrinthine journey that this very compelling character makes, where we discover her capacity for love, her capacity to make huge mistakes that haunt her for the rest of her life and her capacity to take some responsibility for those mistakes. In today’s times, that’s an interesting thing to watch a person decide to do.

What put this guy [Stan] on your radar?

Sebastian Stan:Our agents.

KK: Our agents, but also, you have a lot of nice friends.

SS: Oh, good!

KK: No, but you do. You have a lot of nice friends that I think are nice people and good actors, so when your name came up, I’d be like, “Oh, that’s cool.” And then I watched I, Tonya, and I felt like, that’s so interesting to see a guy who in real life, frankly, has a leading man vibe and leading man looks — in a great way, not holding it against you. You’re a very handsome dude — but to see you play a character who was capable of so much smallness and shame and ugliness, I just thought, “My God, that takes bravery.” After our first Skype session, I was like, let’s just figure out how we’re going to work together.

Had you read the script by then?

SS: I had read the script and then we had a Skype session about it. I just love that it felt like you were never really figuring out entirely what was happening or who these people were. It didn’t explain anything, it just kind of–

KK: Put you in their lives.

SS: Yeah, and you’re there as a witness and it’s as if you’re walking by and you’re turning and you’re seeing that scene happen. That felt very real to me. I always feel like, as an actor, you’re always looking in the writing for rhythms, and those scenes were written a certain way. It’s a very direct, frank nature that they have with each other, at least in the scenes that I was involved with Nicole. And I was like, here’s an opportunity to play a completely different character by not doing anything. By almost just letting–

KK: By not indicating anything about the character. By just being, they told so much story.

SS: Exactly. And I just knew it was going to be a very special movie. The idea of protagonist and antagonist was always flipped around here, and I think that in life, good people do bad things and bad people sometimes end up doing a good thing for that moment, or whatever. This movie was so straightforward about that. And to have a female character that had no excuse for anything in a way that didn’t apologize but also, you understood where she was coming from, because all the flaws were so… Nobody shied away from any of that. And then you get Nicole to do it and then you’re like, “All right, well, now it’s going to be a whole other thing!” [Laughs.] Continue reading

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Published by Carol

Published on Jan 20, 2019

Articles Destroyer I Tonya Interviews Press

Jan

Sebastian Stan’s Career Was Transformed By ‘I, Tonya,’ So He Went Looking for More Indies

IndieWire.com — Nearly a decade into his turn as Marvel’s Bucky Barnes — otherwise known as The Winter Soldier — actor Sebastian Stan is busier than ever, but not with the kind of safe commercial bets that other franchise players might be pursuing. A year after taking on the risky role of former criminal and national laughingstock Jeff Gillooly in Craig Gillespie’s Oscar-winning “I, Tonya,” Stan is still chasing unconventional supporting roles in smaller features.

In Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer,” he acts opposite Nicole Kidman as an undercover police officer helping Kidman’s no-nonsense detective through a dangerous mission that destroys her life. It’s a tricky r ole for any actor to hold their own opposite a proven movie star in dark, moody thriller, but Stan said that “I, Tonya” opened him up to embrace that sort of challenge.

“It was definitely a transformative year for me, in terms of what I want,” Stan said in an interview, and he credited “I, Tonya” with shifting his priorities. “It kind of set the bar for me in what I wanted going forward.”

The rest of his current schedule speaks to the actor’s interest in peering beyond the commercial realm: He starred in Stacie Passon’s Shirley Jackson adaptation “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” which debuted at LAFF earlier this year, and he recently wrapped roles in Todd Robinson’s true-life war drama “The Last Full Measure” and Argyris Papadimitropoulos’ romantic drama “Monday.”

After years of working in franchise mode, “I, Tonya” opened the actor up to exploring these opportunities. “It led me to want to look for that again, to find more things that scare me, and that are challenging,” he said. “I came out of that movie feeling like, ‘I don’t know how I’m gonna find the situation again.’ I was really wanting to find that again, and lo and behold, I actually did.”

However, “Destroyer” nearly slipped beyond his grasp. Stan originally met with Kusama to discuss the role of cult leader Silas, played in the film by Toby Kebbell, though he had some initial reservations about taking on another dark role. “I was actually concerned, after ‘I, Tonya,’ because I was like, ‘God, this is gonna be another really dark, dark role, I don’t know if I can sort just get into that again,’” he said.

He wanted to work with Kusama and Kidman, but walked away from the meeting wondering if the role was a fit, and even made his own audition tape as the character to further feel it out.

“I put a scene on my iPhone, and I sent it to her,” he said. “I said, ‘Hey, look, I just got inspired, and I want you to check this out, and you let me know what you think, obviously, you know, whatever you feel is best.’” Weeks went by without an update and Stan figured he didn’t make the cut. In October 2017, Kusama finally called. “She said, ‘You know, I loved your tape, but actually I feel like you’d be better in this role, the other role,’” he said.

As a choosy performer who takes his time pursuing various roles, Stan admits he wasn’t immediately comfortable with Marvel superstardom.

“I don’t think it came naturally to me,” Stan said of his ease with his fans and fame. “Even if you look back a few years ago, I remember doing interviews and just being so scared and just trying to take it all in. I feel like I’ve learned a way to sort of embrace it.” He added with a laugh, “You can see it, if you go on YouTube.” (Admittedly, in some of Stan’s earliest video interviews for “Captain America: First Avenger,” he looks ready to jump out of his skin.)

These days, he appears more comfortable with the role. His Instagram account is filled with pictures and videos of him interacting with fans, and happily so. He’s a vocal supporter of the charity Our Big Day Out, which aims to provide shelter and a better way of life for children in Stan’s home country Romania. It’s raised thousands of dollars over the years, with big pushes often spearheaded by the actor’s fans in honor of the star.

He’s understandably tight-lipped about what to expect from future Marvel movies (he’s credited on the upcoming “Avengers: Endgame,” but isn’t entirely sure what stuff he filmed will be in the final cut). But he’s quick to talk about his latest projects, including an untitled romance directed by Drake Doremus, which allowed him to stretch his improv muscles. As for other genres he’d like to explore, he’s interested in doing a period piece like “Game of Thrones,” something that would let him play around with “a great accent.”

And he’s not saying no to more big films, though it’s the smaller ones that seem most top of mind.

“Look, I would never necessarily say no to a lead in a franchise,” he said. “I love all movies, so I’m game. … I think I’ve been so lucky to have this Marvel universe to go back to. I’ve learned a tremendous amount in 10 years. They’ve given me so many opportunities, and one of the opportunities that they’ve given me is a chance to go out there and find something that’s gonna stretch me in some way, and challenge me in a way that’s gonna be different. … I mean, how much better than that can it get?”

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Published by Carol

Published on Jan 20, 2019

Destroyer Interviews Photos Videos

Nov

Sebastian Stops by Jimmy Kimmel LIVE to Discuss ‘Destroyer’

On November 8th, Sebastian stopped by Jimmy Kimmel LIVE for his first solo appearance on the late night talk show. During his visit he discussed his upcoming film with Nicole Kidman Destroyer which is set for a Christmas Day release.

You can find high quality screen captures, promotional stills and arrival candids from his appearance int he gallery now. Including the video interview below:

Screen Captures > Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! (November 8th, 2018)
Public Appearances > 2018 > 11/08/18 – Arriving at Jimmy Kimmel LIVE
Public Appearances > 2018 > 11/08/18 – Visiting Jimmy Kimmel LIVE

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Published by Carol

Published on Nov 17, 2018

Destroyer Interviews Videos

Sep

Video: Sebastian Talks ‘Destroyer’ at 2018 Toronto International Film Festival

You can watch all the interviews Sebastian took part in during his time promoting his film Destroyer at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival in the playlist below. More will be added to it as they’re found. 🙂

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Published by Carol

Published on Sep 11, 2018

Destroyer Interviews Videos

Sep

TIFF: Sebastian on his role in ‘Destroyer’ “Good People Can Do Bad Things”

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Published by Carol

Published on Sep 10, 2018

Hugo Boss Interviews Photos Videos

Jun

Photos: Hugo Boss Unveil’s New Singapore MBS Store

On May 25th, Sebastian along with Avengers co-star and fellow Hugo Boss representative Chris Hemsworth took part in celebrating as Hugo Boss unveiled their newest MBS store in Singapore. Sebastian also was interviewed during and before the event and you can find those videos and photos below:

Public Appearances > 2018 > 05/25/18 – Hugo Boss Unveil’s New Singapore MBS Store

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Published by Carol

Published on Jun 03, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War Interviews Videos

Jun

Video: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Press Tour Interviews

Hey guys! Since I wasn’t able to be around while the Avengers: Infinity War was ongoing, I’ve collected as many interviews as I could find and made a playlist for easier browsing. You can view those below:

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Published by Carol

Published on Jun 03, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War Interviews Press

Mar

SlashFilm: Sebastian Stan & Anthony Mackie Talk ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and Reacting to a Talking Raccoon (On Set Interview)

SlashFilm.com — And now, here is our final interview from the set of Avengers: Infinity War. Today, we bring you our roundtable conversation with Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes, AKA Winter Solider) and Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon).

In typical Marvel fashion, the actors were told to reveal nothing to us. This is sometimes frustrating for a journalist on set just trying to figure out what exactly he is watching, but in this case, it’s extremely entertaining. You may not learn much from this interview with Mackie and Stan, but I promise that you will enjoy their antics.

***

Anthony Mackie: Hello, everyone. Welcome to Avengers 3. My name is Anthony Mackie. This is Sebastian Stan. If you have any questions, direct towards us. We will answer them in a timely fashion. Do not ask anything about the movie because we will not answer. This will go extremely well and you will enjoy.

What’d you think about Wonder Woman?

Sebastian Stan: I haven’t seen it.

Mackie: Loved it. It’s great. Ladies, great job all of you. Great job. I’m very proud of you.

We noticed Bucky isn’t frozen. You’re walking around here.

Stan: This is where he’s not frozen. That’s good for someone.

What’s he doing in Wakanda?

Stan: The same thing he was doing in Wakanda the last time you saw him in Wakanda.

Mackie: Hanging out. Eating Wakandanese food.

Stan: Dreaming in his little spacecraft. Well, that’s the last time you saw him, right? So, he’s here taking in the scenery, I guess. And the scenery ain’t great?

Will he be in Black Panther? Because that’ll have come out by the time we run this.

Mackie: We’ve already told you, we can’t say. I congratulated your people and everything. You’re messing it up.

In between Civil War and Infinity War, has Falcon been with Cap and Widow?

Mackie: No. We all kind of went on our separate ways after Civil War. We all kind of went on our separate ways and we were in hiding because of everything that happened in Civil War. So now, we get the call to rally, and here we are: Avengers 3.

What are you rallying for?

Mackie: Freedom. Truth. Social liberties and peace with all men and women.

Stan: And Mel Gibson.

So the villain in this one is Thanos. What can you tell us about Thanos? What does Winter Solider think about him? What does Falcon think about him?

Stan: Winter Soldier is just enjoying his new arm. And that’s really where he’s at.

Mackie: It’s a nice arm. All lubed up and ready to go.

Stan: And he’s learning new information as he goes along.

Your character is a very realistic kind of guy, so what does he think when he hears about this all-powerful being who’s going to kill everyone?

Mackie: One thing about Falcon I’ve always loved since the beginning of discovering this character is his Military background, his belief that his job in life to fight for his fellow man. So when he hears about [Thanos and] his overall idea of world destruction, he’s very disheartened and shaken by it. He’s eager to get into the fight against this super evil, this diabolical demon known as Thanos. Y’all know who’s playing Thanos? Right! Right? I mean when you think of Thanos–

Stan: You think of W. He was so great in that movie.

Mackie: Brolin.

Stan: He’s a great actor.

Winter Soldier’s been through a lot of emotional trauma. Has he had some therapy since Civil War?

Stan: Absolutely. Yes. Definitely. Much more.

So he’s more peppy and perky?

Stan: I’ll tell you, in the ten pages that I was allowed to read, I didn’t see that.

Mackie: No perk.

Stan: For the other, I don’t know, 90 to 100 pages that are in this film, that I did not read, I have no idea.

How do your characters feel getting back together again, since we know you were best buds?

Stan: This was our first scene reuniting, and I thought it was warm–

Mackie: It was. A warm greeting. I realized he’s had a rough few years. He’s been frozen. I’m black so I haven’t aged. We’re just surprised to see each other again. On a new mission. Continue reading

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Published by Carol

Published on Mar 29, 2018