Category: Interviews
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:
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:
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.
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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
Collider.com — Last summer, I was invited alongside a group of journalists to visit the Atlanta, Georgia set of Avengers: Infinity War. You can read a more in-depth account about my experience on the set here, but suffice it to say that it was indeed epic. The amount of star-power in this movie is mind-boggling, and over the next several weeks I’ll be publishing interviews with the cast and creatives behind it all. They couldn’t reveal much in the way of specifics, of course, but it was really fun to just see their banter and interactions — which is really the crux of what the Avengers movies are all about.
So much has happened in the MCU since we visited Pinewood studios, and we got a little update at the end of Black Panther about Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) , a.k.a. the Winter Soldier’s whereabouts. As for Anthony Mackie’s Falcons, one of the primary questions was that, for such a grounded character, what has it been like for his character to see things like a talking raccoon, much less Thanos? The two actors filled us in:
QUESTION: So what is Bucky 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 space craft. 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?
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 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.
For Anthony, your character is a very realistic kind of guy, so what does he think when he hears about this all-powerful being whose 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 is 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.
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. Continue reading
Screenrant.com — Avengers: Infinity War star Sebastian Stan appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, and posted a photo from the show’s set of himself posing with a toy replica of the Infinity Gauntlet. The appearance was to promote Avengers: Infinity War and a new children’s charity initiative called Marvel: Universe Unites.
Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes aka. the Winter Soldier, posted a video on Instagram of him flexing a toy version of the Infinity Gauntlet – one of the key artifacts wielded by the cosmic villain Thanos in Infinity War. Stan appeared on GMA alongside Paul Bettany, who plays The Vision (and formerly voiced Tony Stark’s AI assistant J.A.R.V.I.S.), and Karen Gillan, the reformed villain Nebula from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies (who will also be appearing in Infinity War). The upcoming Infinity War will be the first of a two-part movie that will end this current generation of Marvel movies and transition into a new phase with emphasis on new or currently supporting characters.
The Good Morning America appearance, and the accompanying Instagram, was to begin the push for Marvel: Universe Unites. This is a charitable drive co-branded to help promote Infinity War (as the existing Marvel universe will unite in the film). It is part of a larger charitable initiative called Hero Acts that works to support the Save the Children charity.
The video came with a flurry of social media activity that also included a photo of the three actors posing with a bevy of Marvel toys. The concept between Universe Unites is that each Marvel actor would play with the toys given to them in a large box, and pose with them for social media photos. The toys would then be sent to a child in need. The photo of Bettany, Gillan, and Stan aims to reach one million likes on Instagram. If the photo hits the desired number, Marvel will donate $250,000 to the charity. Marvel will also be donating 10 percent of Marvel toy sales proceeds earned on Saturday, March 3.
The character of Barnes is notably outfitted with a cybernetic arm after losing his left arm in an accident during World War II that presumably had taken his life. He was last onscreen missing the arm completely. It is notable, then, that Stan is the one posing with the Gauntlet. In the comics, the Winter Soldier eventually takes up the mantle of Captain America when Steve Rogers is apparently assassinated. It has been theorized that part of the Marvel push past Infinity War will be to feature Barnes as the new Captain America, and it is possible that Barnes unleashing the power of the Infinity Gauntlet may play into this somewhat.
Seldom is anything done in the public sphere by a Marvel Cinematic Universe actor without some sort of subtext or cryptic hinting. Marvel is notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to future movie events and the trajectory of the MCU storyline. It is unlikely, then, that the post by Stan on the show was merely a fun bit of happenstance. It is possible, though, that we will have to wait past Infinity War for the meaning of the act, as the currently untitled fourth Avengers movie will continue the story from May’s Avengers romp.
We sat down with I, Tonya’s Sebastian Stan to learn the truth behind the story that scandalized a nation, and changed the figure skating community forever.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FILM! CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU BECAME INVOLVED WITH IT? WHAT DREW YOU TO YOUR CHARACTER IN PARTICULAR?
I had a Skype call with Craig (Gillespie) around the same time I saw Price of Gold, the “30 for 30” documentary on Tonya Harding. After reading the script, I was blown away by the possibilities of this film: its honesty and humor, and how tragic these real life characters were – it felt like an important story to tell. From the perspective of an actor, Jeff (Gillooly) was such a complex character, and I was curious to learn the truth behind the man, and what really happened. I’m still not sure I have figured it out exactly, but it was worth the challenge.
YOU MET JEFF AND TONYA IN REAL LIFE – WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
It was really important for me to meet them, and Jeff in particular because it was difficult to find out anything about him besides the scandal surrounding the “incident”. It was also important to me from a technical perspective to be informed about how he moved and how he spoke. I got the sense through our meeting that he had had a difficult upbringing, and that as chaotic as his relationship became with Tonya, there was love between them at some point. That was my way in – my way of finding some humanity in him. I tried to approach the character with the idea that people can start out with good intentions, but don’t, or can’t always follow through.
TONYA AND JEFF’S RELATIONSHIP WAS VOLATILE, AND VIOLENT AT TIMES. HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE CHARACTER, KNOWING HOW AUDIENCES WOULD REACT TO HIM?It was difficult from the beginning because I couldn’t help but judge him, but I set to the task of trying to find some humanity behind what was on the page. I wanted to go back to the beginning and explore how Jeff and Tonya began, and to understand who he was and what led to what. Meeting him in person helped, because it allowed me to connect young Jeff with present-day Jeff, and I was able to start piecing a life together for him. Margot and I worked carefully with Craig to try and find the love underneath all of that pain and toxicity. We wanted to understand, and to show why Tonya kept going back.
I loved working with Margot. She is extremely generous as an actress and charismatic as a producer. She loves the filmmaking process and I was in perpetual awe at how determined she was to tell this story the right way. She was my anchor in this and I couldn’t have done it without her.
I am supportive of the movement. It is incredibly brave and heroic of all the women who have spoken out, and I want to hold space for that, and to honor that. I’m saddened as a man and a human being by everything that I have read and learned, but I am hopeful that through it, we can expand our awareness and learn how to communicate better with one another to embrace and propel a change that is long overdue. Hopefully, we can inspire future generations of men and women through the self-reflection we are all now experiencing. As an actor, I feel it is my duty to hold a mirror up to nature as best as I can, and to support stories that have been, and still need to be told.
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY YOUR STATEMENT: “NOW IS THE TIME MORE THAN EVER FOR US TO REVIEW WHAT MASCULINITY IS ABOUT. VIOLENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNFORTUNATELY EMBEDDED IN MASCULINITY, THIS ALPHA THING. IT’S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.”
I think for a long time, the idea of an “alpha male” was romanticized or defined in a certain way – often including violence – and it’s time for that to be re-examined. What is a man in 2018? What’s exciting about this time is that we all have an opportunity to listen, and to see where changes need to be made in the examples we want to put forward for younger people. I think it’s all about having the conversation. To me personally, masculinity is about offering protection, offering safety, holding space, communication, being vulnerable, never making the other feel wrong for how they feel, and now more importantly than ever, it is about listening and learning how to be of service.Source: sbjctjournal.com
The story of figure skater Tonya Harding is so outrageous that the actress who portrays her, Margot Robbie, can be forgiven for not realizing it was a true tale when she first read the script. Harding, her then-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard Shawn Eckhart were implicated in an attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympics, and the media coverage was relentless. In telling her story, screenwriter Steven Rogers spent time with both Harding and Gillooly and utilizes their different versions of the events to tell a funny, insightful and very human story. Best known for his work in such blockbusters as “The Martian” and as Bucky “The Winter Soldier” Barnes in the “Captain America” films, Sebastian Stan completely transformed himself to play Gillooly, a man who sported a mustache he “can’t apologize enough for.”
Stan: “I remember hearing the story of Tonya and Nancy when it happened, but I think I was 10 and not really aware of what happened. I was in Europe back then and I can still remember seeing Tonya Harding’s face on the news. That gives you an idea how much they were recycling that footage and how prevalent it was everywhere.
“My agent sent me the script to ‘I, Tonya’ last year. From an actor’s perspective, the script was like finding gold. Not a lot of things like this come my way. It had this documentary style and so many funny elements, but also these very scary, violent sequences. I’ve never played anyone that was a real person before, so that excited me. I immediately went online and looked him up and found an episode of ‘Inside Edition’ with him and it was such an interesting character study. He was fascinating. I was bouncing ideas around with Craig and getting excited and then I had a moment where I realized this is a true story and these are real people and their lives were ruined by this. I’ve learned through the years to keep a rein on judging characters. It’s very easy to do that.
“The day I got the part, Craig said, ‘If you want to meet Jeff, you can. But you don’t have to.’ But I wanted to get some perspective. Tonya’s upbringing was out in the open, it was known she had a violent past and she was somewhat replaying her past. But with Jeff, I couldn’t really find anything on his upbringing. In addition, I was going to have to play him when he was 50 years old. I didn’t even have a picture of what he looks like.
“Two weeks before shooting, I met with him. It was bizarre sitting across from the person you’ve been looking at and listening to. I had the tapes from his meeting with Steven and had been listening to him over and over again. It was surreal at first. We met at a restaurant and had dinner. He seemed apprehensive, he hadn’t read the script and I think he was hesitant about revisiting it. At the same time, he was open and direct in talking about the experience and himself. I asked a lot of questions: ‘How did you meet? How did you fall in love? Why the mustache?’ He really didn’t have an answer for that one, I don’t think he gave it a lot of thought.
“Working with Margot was a dream come true. We laughed, we cried, we were exhausted at some points. There’s a scene with a gun that loomed large in my mind; I was always sort of dreading it because I knew it would be difficult emotionally. We shot it over and over again. we have so many versions of it. There are chaotic versions and slow versions and we did some improvising. We went from over–the-top to subtle, just trying to find it. Margot was very inspiring to be around during difficult times in the sense she had a positive attitude about the whole thing. We shot it in 30 days and they were long days with a lot on her plate and she kept showing up and having the best attitude. It inspired and motivated you.”
Source: Variety.com