Category: Film

Jul
18

Press: Sebastian Stan Is a One-Man Mötley Crüe

SPIN Magazine -Sebastian Stan Is a One-Man Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe ruled the metal scene in the late ‘80s, going on to sell over 100 million records. However, by the time Sebastian Stan was the right age to appreciate the glam band, the metal heyday had passed. “Unfortunately, I didn’t really know Mötley Crüe when I was growing up,” Stan says, “because when I was in high school, it was already a grunge world.”

But that didn’t stop the Romanian-born actor from discovering the band later, telling SPIN, “I personally gravitate towards the ’80s.” So, despite not growing up on the iconic group, he eventually came to love them. Eventually becoming intimately familiar with one of the band members by playing him on TV.

Stan, 39, is currently garnering praise for his portrayal of Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in the Hulu drama Pam and Tommy, a fictionalized retelling of the stolen sex tape that became a cultural touchstone — and a punchline, despite the fact that it was a criminal invasion of privacy. The early episodes introduce the cocky musician as he meets and falls immediately in love (didn’t we all?) with Baywatch starlet Pamela Anderson (played by an incandescent Lily James). The later episodes delve deep into how poorly the situation was handled legally, culturally, and personally by the world at large.

On March 4, Stan stars in another Hulu original, the comedy thriller Fresh as the new boyfriend of a young woman (Daisy Edgar-Jones) navigating the horror that is the modern dating scene, which critics have hailed as a scathing critique on “toxic male sexuality and attitudes to women.” Thematically, the film complements the message of Pam and Tommy, with both projects examining gender dynamics in pop culture.

And then there’s Stan’s ongoing super cool role as super-soldier Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. While no future plans for that series have been announced, Stan, all cagey, tells SPIN he won’t rule out another turn in the MCU. Read on for more about how he prepared for his role as Tommy Lee, his favorite karaoke songs, ’90s fashion and if we’ll see him again busting heads alongside Sam Wilson.

SPIN: How naturally did the Tommy Lee character come to you?
Sebastian Stan: Not very naturally – I don’t have a tattoo on my body, I’ve never played the drums before; I don’t play any instruments. I sing karaoke for fun, but I have nothing to really relate to. It was going to be a massive journey of research that I was about to embark on.

What is your karaoke song?
Oh my God, I have so many. There’s great Elvis songs, Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses. I’ve definitely thrown in some Mötley Crüe. And Billy Joel – very, very important.

So you’re a classics karaoke guy.
I stick to the ones that have a lot of heart, all right? “New York State of Mind,” “Just the Way You Are.”
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Jun
21

Press: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve & Adam Pearson To Star In ‘A Different Man’ For A24

Deadline – Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve & Adam Pearson To Star In ‘A Different Man’ For A24.

EXCLUSIVE: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson are set to star in the A24 psychological thriller A Different Man from filmmaker Aaron Schimberg. A24 is financing and producing the pic, which will be written and directed by Schimberg.

The film follows Edward, an outcast who is seeking a new life and fresh start. After he undergoes facial reconstructive surgery, he becomes fixated on a man starring as him in a stage production based on his former life.

Alongside A24, Christine Vachon and Gabriel Mayers of Killer Films, Vanessa McDonnell of Grand Motel Films and Jason Reif will produce. Stan will executive produce. Production kicks off next month.

Stan is coming off rave reviews for his portrayal of Tommy Lee in the Hulu limited series Pam & Tommy. On the film side, he recently starred in the thriller Fresh for Searchlight. Reinsve’s recent credits include The Worst Person in the World and The Governess.

Stan is repped by CAA, Brookside Artist Management and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Reinsve is repped by CAA.

Jun
14

Press: Sebastian Stan Transformed Himself Like Never Before For ‘Pam & Tommy’

The Playlist – Sebastian Stan Transformed Himself Like Never Before For ‘Pam & Tommy’

Sebastian Stan will tell you that in order to play the Winter Soldier he spent years trying to put on “weight” to match the physique of Chris Hemsworth‘s of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’ll also tell you, in his own opinion, he never truly pulled it off. He went in a significantly different direction to play legendary drummer Tommy Lee in “Pam & Tommy.” For that series, Stan spent months learning how to play the drums and used intermittent fasting and exercise to try and duplicate Lee’s skinny and lanky frame. And yes, that physical transformation was just as difficult as trying to gain all that muscle for previous projects.

“It was tough because it required such drastic changes and it was learning new things,” Stan says. “But then once we got there, once I got to April and we had that camera test, it was delayed gratification. Finally, on that day of the camera test, all the work that I’d done and all the ideas I had had about how it was going to look and what was going to happen and the physical stuff, it all clicked and made me feel like it was part of helping me to get the courage to go there. And a lot of that had to do with the tattoos and the physical was a big part of it. But once we were in costume, once we had the hair and makeup and everything else, then it was, O.K. This is more real now. Up until that point, it was 100% anxiety every day.”

The Hulu limited series also saw his co-star Lily James become unrecognizable as Lee’s one-time wife (and, arguably, love of his life), Pamela Anderson. Over the course of our interview, Stan discusses reuniting with his “I, Tonya” director Craig Gillespie, the infamous and outrageous scenes in the program’s second episode, how he researched Lee’s life story, and much, much more.

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Jun
12

Photos/Video: ‘Fresh’ FYC Panel Event (w/ Screen Captures & Video)

Searchlight Pictures released the video of the ‘Fresh’ FYC Event with Sebastian and Daisy Edgar-Jones. I’ve also added photos of the event. Click below to watch and also check out screencaps and photos in the gallery.

May
11

Photos: ‘The 355’ Screen Captures

You can now find 400+ high quality screen captures of Sebastian as Nick from the film ‘The 355’ in the gallery along with Bluray featurette screen captures.

May
11

Photo/Video: ‘The Magic of Passion’ Trailer with Screen Captures

Sebastian filmed ‘The Magic of Passion’, a while ago (and apparently they’re waiting on music to clear before releasing the film). Feel free to check out the trailer from the director below. I’ve added screencaps of the trailer to the gallery.

May
10

Photo/Video: Sebastian Stan On Becoming ‘Pam & Tommy’, Playing A Rocker And Wearing That Talking Prosthetic – The Actor’s Side

Deadline –Sebastian Stan On Becoming ‘Pam & Tommy’, Playing A Rocker And Wearing That Talking Prosthetic – The Actor’s Side.

Sebastian Stan certainly picks interesting and challenging projects these days. He joins me for this week’s edition of my Deadline video series The Actor’s Side where we discuss his decision to play Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee as he falls hard for Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and gets immersed in a marriage and sex-tape scandal that dominated the mid-1990s tabloid headlines.

As Stan tells me this isn’t the first time he has taken on the troubled life and times of a real person — he also talks about playing Jeff Gillooly who engineered the infamous Tonya Harding ice-skating scandal in the acclaimed film I, Tonya — but admits this one really brought out his insecurities. He said every week leading up to shooting gave him nightmares, but once they were fully into the transformation (and thanks especially to a game hair and makeup team) it became more comfortable.

Of course it is never that comfortable when you have to wear a talking prosthetic penis, get tattooed like there is no tomorrow, and be completely convincing as an iconic rocker who plays the drums. Stan pulls it all off though and describes every detail. We also get into his current film, also on Hulu, saying Fresh has its own set of challenges, but one he was eager to take on.

And you can’t talk to Sebastian Stan without getting the latest on the Winter Soldier himself aka Bucky Barnes. Stan has appeared in about nine different projects for Marvel where he plays that character, most recently the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and he fills us in on whether he has any plans for more.

To watch our conversation click on the video above, and join me every Wednesday during Emmy season for another edition of The Actor’s Side.

* The full Deadline Actor’s Side interview is now available to view in the link above. Screen Captures have also been added to the gallery.

May
10

Press: Hulu Offers ‘Fresh’ Twist to the Emmy Race, Submits Sebastian Stan Horror Film for TV Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

Variety –Hulu Offers ‘Fresh’ Twist to the Emmy Race, Submits Sebastian Stan Horror Film for TV Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

An exciting and welcomed twist to the Emmy race for outstanding television movie has arrived, as Mimi Cave’s horror-comedy “Fresh,” starring Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, is being submitted for Primetime Emmy consideration.

This offers an interesting possibility in a category that hasn’t drummed up much excitement over the last couple of years. While buzzy titles like “Bad Education” and three consecutive “Black Mirror” episodes dominated, the soulful purpose of the category has seemed to be missing. Last year’s winner, “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square,” was the only film of the five other nominees to have another Emmy nomination (for outstanding choreography for scripted programming, which it won for Debbie Allen).

Since the separation of the TV movie and limited series categories in 1992 (merged again in 2011 before being separated again in 2014), there’s never been a traditional horror film nominated in the category. So while the category is stacked with contenders such as HBO’s “The Survivor” from Barry Levinson and Netflix’s animated feature “The House” contending for recognition, perhaps “Fresh” could be the first for the genre?

The switcharoo also highlights the banner year for its star Sebastian Stan, who will now have another shot at gold for his work as Steve, the charming and cannibalistic serial killer — another strong outing alongside his turn in the miniseries “Pam and Tommy,” also from Hulu. While the categories for outstanding limited series and outstanding television movie are separated at the Emmys, the actors from both sides compete in the acting categories. However, while his work in “Fresh” is undoubtedly entertaining, the Romanian-born performer has a significantly better shot for his interpretation of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

The 39-year-old’s alluring talents have been a fascinating journey to watch unfold in Hollywood over the last decade. While getting his start as the gambling addict Carter Baizen in the classic series “Gossip Girl,” he’s churned out incredible performances in films such as “I, Tonya” (2017) and “Destroyer” (2018). His most recognizable character has been Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently appearing in the Disney+ drama series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

Though Stan has unfortunately garnered few accolades thus far, aside from a Critics Choice nom for “Political Animals” in 2013, he may finally be within arm’s reach for his first major awards nomination. He also has a role in Emmy winner Benjamin Caron’s (“The Crown”) directorial film debut “Sharper,” opposite Julianne Moore and John Lithgow, due out later this year from A24 and Apple Original Films.

“Fresh” is another potential Emmy vehicle for Stan’s co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones, best known for her stunning work in the miniseries “Normal People” and now co-starring opposite another MCU superhero actor, Andrew Garfield, in FX’s crime-thriller “Under the Banner of Heaven.” In addition, Edgar-Jones has an upcoming role in Olivia Newman’s adaptation of “Where the Crawdads Sing” from Sony Pictures, produced by Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter.

Written by Lauryn Kahn, “Fresh” was acquired by Searchlight Pictures ahead of its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. In March, the film released on Hulu and received positive marks from critics and audiences.

Adam McKay and Kevin J. Messick produced the thriller. McKay is a two-time Emmy-winner for outstanding variety special live (2019 for “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’”) and outstanding drama series (HBO’s “Succession” in 2020). Off his recent Oscar nomination for Netflix’s “Don’t Look Up,” this marks one of four possible noms McKay can receive this year — HBO’s “Succession” (drama series), “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” (drama series and directing the episode “The Swan”) and “The Invisible Pilot” (documentary series).

The current Emmy predictions for outstanding television movie are below. The full rankings can be found on Variety Awards Circuit prediction pages and are updated every Thursday.

Apr
21

Audio/Interview: In The Envelope Podcast

Sebastian Stan still remembers the piece of acting school advice that fueled him through his early career all the way up to where he is today. “Bring the day with you to work, or to the audition, or to the meeting,” he says in this episode of “In the Envelope.” “You’re on the subway, you’re running late, you’re trying to get to the audition, and then someone bumps into you and you spill coffee, and you’re pissed off…you might as well just own it. Then you’re starting from an honest place.”

One of the most versatile performers working today, Stan has made a career out of balancing blockbusters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with ferocious smaller-scale character work. The actor followed up an appearance in the biggest box office success in history, “Avengers: Endgame,” with an admirable streak of electric—and occasionally stomach-churning—roles in dark dramas and thrillers like the cannibal potboiler “Fresh” and Hulu’s pitch-black true-story comedy “Pam & Tommy.”

You can check out the interview wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts (Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio etc) — or simply hit the play button below via Spotify!

Apr
07

Photos/Videos: ‘Fresh’ stills and featurette screen captures

I’ve added more stills of Sebastian as Steve from the Hulu film ‘Fresh’ into the gallery. I’ve also added screencaps of the four featurettes of the film that were released by Hulu