Offscreen Central is horrified by the fires devastating Southern California. As much of our team is based in LA, it is hard for us to go on business as usual. If you are in any of the impacted areas, please stay and stay up to date with precautions needed in your area. The Watch Duty app is a great resource for mapping evacuation updates and orders. The DSA have put together an emergency resource guide for those in the Los Angeles county. The guide includes where to track evacuation warnings, nearby shelter locations and essentials for survival kits.

While we will be dropping work again after a short break, we are hoping to highlight someone in need with each piece dropped. Harry Hughes lost everything due to the Eaton Fire. If you can make a small donation, here is his GoFundMe.

The United States will be entering a new era this month, but this time we know it will be 100 times worse than before. Unfortunately, only half of the country knows that. The Apprentice is a brilliant film by director Ali Abbasi about how Donald Trump got his start in the real estate business and how his lawyer Roy Cohn fed on his darkest tendencies and helped him rise in power. Just its premise is polarizing, because why would we want to delve into the history of a man so painfully present in our current affairs? Many people only know the narrative that has been placed before them, never stopping to do research. If The Apprentice was not an important film, why else would Trump have attempted to prevent it from distributing in the United States? The Apprentice was instantly going to be controversial. Only a very self-assured and confident actor could handle the pressure, and for that, Sebastian Stan was the perfect choice to play Donald Trump. 

Stan has a long and interesting career with a multitude of different performances. He’s worked in television, independent cinema, and big blockbusters like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While he’s been in other award-season films like Black Swan, I, Tonya, and The Martian, he was in supporting roles. It’s finally his time to shine in The Apprentice where he takes center stage portraying the most famous person in the world.

Impressions of Trump are a dime a dozen. From his big gestures to his unique speech patterns, almost anyone can do some approximation of him. Without the right actor at the helm, the movie could’ve turned into a farce, entirely missing the film’s purpose. Instead of jumping right into it, Stan starts small with the quirks and then ramps them up naturally as his character descends into his evil. His performance never feels like an impression. It’s terrifying to see how natural he is in the role. Combined with an excellent makeup team, he disappears completely, and I often had to remind myself I was watching Sebastian Stan. He fully captures Trump’s physicality, from the way he wears the suits, the way he walks, and how he purses his lips. Also, hand acting has never been so vital to a performance. 

Anyone thinking that the film is simply a hit piece is completely wrong. Surprisingly, it’s framed through an unbiased lens. At the beginning of the film, Stan plays Trump with a naive spirit, leading to a sympathetic initial impression. Well, as sympathetically as a wealthy landlord can be portrayed. When he met Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong, I wanted him to run for the hills. For even an ounce of commiseration to be squeezed out of me is a true testament to Stan’s acting skills. Speaking of Strong, he and Stan have an awesome rapport with each other. Strong is a brilliant actor in his own right and deserves recognition for playing such a scumball, too. This teacher and student duo are terrible, but you can’t tear your eyes away from them.

Everybody knows that biopics are award-season catnip, but to find a unique performance that feels wholly special is like finding a needle in a haystack. 2024 was the best year of his long career, and it is finally time to reward Sebastian Stan with a nomination for the biggest award in his career field. No Lead Actor lineup is complete without Stan. He played Trump straightforwardly and honestly, never forcing the camp that Trump naturally brings. Stan’s ability to balance tone is incredible. He never fails to be the center of attention even with the splashy editing and magnificent set pieces recreating the gaudy Trump aesthetic. Stan shines through it all. 

Film is a medium that can create real change in the world. It’s a powerful tool, one that can expand minds and change hearts. A film like The Apprentice has the opportunity to open the eyes of people who need a visual medium to guide them to the correct conclusion. Without the talent of Stan, there is no way that it would be able to make said change. The Apprentice is unlike any other biopic. It’s easy to make a film about an admirable figure in history but to make a film about someone as controversial as Donald Trump takes courage. Sebastian Stan is a brave actor, unafraid to keep the conversation alive about what matters. 

The Apprentice is currently available on demand.
You can find our review of the film here.