What Sebastian Stan’s ‘blacklisting’ tells us about Trump’s America

At a Los Angeles screening of the controversial biographical film The Apprentice on Tuesday (November 19), actor Sebastian Stan, who portrays Donald Trump, revealed that his performance as the 45th, and now 47th, President of the United States has effectively led to his ostracisation within Hollywood.

Speaking at the screening, Stan explained: “Despite the love I’ve received from some of the biggest actors, directors and producers who’ve seen the movie and raved about it... I had an offer to do Variety’s Actors on Actors this Friday, but I couldn’t find another actor willing to do it with me. They were too afraid, so it didn’t happen.” While Stan clarified that he wasn’t blaming any specific actor, he pointed to publicists and representatives as the key obstacles: “They’re too scared to let their clients be associated with this movie.”

The Apprentice chronicles Trump’s rise during the 1970s and 80s, focusing on his real estate empire and his mentorship under Roy Cohn, the ruthless attorney and power broker played by Jeremy Strong. The film has drawn comparisons to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, depicting the creation of a monster and the moral decay underpinning Trump’s ascent.

Upon the film’s announcement, Trump himself attempted to derail the project, branding it on his social media platform, Truth Social, as a “cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job” designed to undermine his presidential campaign. Nonetheless, the film premiered, and Trump went on to win the election, marking the first Republican popular vote victory in 20 years.

The fear of discussing or criticising Trump that exists now was absent in 2016 when he first won the presidency. Back then, actors and comedians were vocal in their critiques and frequently used Trump as material to boost their careers. The exception was Kathy Griffin, who was effectively blacklisted in 2017 after sharing an image of herself holding a mask styled to look like the severed, bloody head of Trump.

This time around, celebrities are having to apologise for their anti-Trump comments. For example, after the election, actress Rachel Zegler, currently starring in Romeo & Juliet on Broadway, faced backlash for an Instagram post in which she wrote: “There is a deep sickness in this country. May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.” A week later, Zegler backtracked. She wrote: “Hi, everyone; I would like to sincerely apologise for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week. I let my emotions get the best of me. Hatred and anger have caused us to move further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse.” She continued: “This week has been emotional for so many of us, but I firmly believe that everyone has the right to their opinion, even when it differs from my own.”

Zegler, who has often been outspoken about her disdain for Trump, had never previously apologised for such remarks. This reflects a shift in the political and cultural climate. While some claim it’s “like 2016 again”, the reality of 2024/2025 is vastly different. Now, it seems that Trump supporters no longer hold a fringe opinion; they represent the popular view. As The Sopranos star Drea de Matteo remarked in a recent interview with Jesse Watters on Fox News, “a lot” of Hollywood stars are secretly Trump supporters, which provides some indication as to why Zegler was compelled to apologise and why the industry has largely ignored Stan’s remarkable portrayal of Trump.

But should we really subscribe to the idea that all political opinions are worthy of respect? As James Baldwin famously said: “We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” Trump’s policies undeniably oppress, and such beliefs shouldn’t be afforded respect or validation.

Nonetheless, Stan concluded his speech at the screening with a compelling point: “We cannot keep casting this person aside, especially after they won the popular vote. Should we not give this a closer look to understand what it is about this person that’s driving that?” Strong expressed a similar sentiment when speaking to Dazed film editor Nick Chen last month about the film: “We didn’t make this film to skewer him or poke him or demonise him [Trump]. The film is an attempt to understand him. I think it does a very responsible job of that.”

We are in a completely new political and cultural landscape. Trump’s win wasn’t a mistake or a fluke; it reflects something profound about America and the times we’re living in. To ignore it, hide from it, or run from it, as Stan argues, is simply not the answer.