Sebastian Stan is officially an Oscar nominee! The versatile actor, best known for his role as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and his Emmy-nominated performance as Tommy Lee in “Pam & Tommy”, has reached a significant milestone in his career with his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 2025 Academy Awards for his performance in Ali Abbasi’s biopic “The Apprentice.”
Despite a challenging journey that included finding a distributor, facing backlash from Trump himself and the Hollywood silence surrounding the controversial film, Sebastian Stan’s Oscar nomination for “The Apprentice” has proven the resilience of the entire team behind this movie and that it was all in fact, worth it.
Stan took a big risk portraying a young Donald Trump, especially considering no other actors dared take on the part. This was no easy feat both for him as an actor and for him in person. The performance required a dramatic physical and vocal transformation, which made this the hardest role Stan has ever taken on, but he delivered an incredibly nuanced performance that offers a deeply complex character study into the man who would become president. Stan embodied the complex and controversial figure with remarkable precision. Diving into the darkest and most emotional corners of himself and the character.
Courtesy of Studio Canal
“The Apprentice” chronicles a young Donald Trump’s rise as a real estate mogul in the 1970’s. The film dives into some intense moments and his nuanced portrayal struck a chord with viewers, offering an unflinching look at ambition, power, and the early days of a future political icon.
For Stan having to promote the film during Trump’s reelection campaign was a challenge in itself. It’s worth noting that Stan handled “The Apprentice” press tour with dignity and grace, despite facing tough questions, controversy, and even rejection from some one-on-one interviews with other actors.
Stan is fresh off a win at the 2025 Golden Globes, where he took home the award for Best Actor in a Musical or comedy for A Different Man. In December, Stan’s outstanding performances earned him two Golden Globe nominations: one for Best Actor in a Drama for “The Apprentice” and another for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for “A Different Man”. He earned his first Golden Globe nomination in 2022 for Pam & Tommy. He also recently received a 2025 BAFTA nomination for Best Actor for “The Apprentice”. These accolades further cemented his place among the year’s top contenders during awards season.
Courtesy of Caroline Brehman/EPA
While his Oscar nomination highlights one specific performance, 2024 has been a career-defining year for Stan, demonstrating his talent and range as an actor outside the MCU as we saw with the release of The Apprentice” and “A Different Man” which both have garnered awards season buzz. Stan has impressed audiences and critics alike with his performances.
In “A Different Man” we see Stan in a deeply emotional and transformative performance as Edward, an aspiring actor with a facial deformity who undergoes a radical procedure to change his appearance. Stan delivers a layered and haunting performance, playing not only Edward but also his unsettling alternate persona, Guy Moratz. Critics have praised Stan for his ability to convey Edward’s internal struggles and the psychological toll of his transformation with subtlety and intensity. Stan mentioned that he even wore his prosthetic around the city so he would get the real feel of what that sense of loneliness was like.
Stan also joins a long list of MCU actors to receive Oscar nominations. There are nearly 90 Oscar nominees in the MCU, including Bradley Cooper, Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, and Gwyneth Paltrow. He is one of the many talented actors who has had a stellar career in Hollywood outside of his role in the MCU.
Fans and industry insiders are buzzing about Stan’s incredible year and his well-deserved recognition from the Academy. 2024 has been a career-defining year for Sebastian Stan, and with his new Marvel project “Thunderbolts” slated for release this year, the Oscar nominated actor is sure to have an exciting 2025 as well.
View the full list of 2025 Oscar nominations here
Fangirl and Writer with a huge passion for entertainment.
