Sebastian Stan says he is “lucky” to have found fame later in life: “I needed to grow”
Sebastian Stan has admitted he considers himself “lucky” to have found fame later in his career than many other young actors, explaining how he “needed to grow”.
The star of The Apprentice was speaking during a recent appearance on the Stronger Podcast hosted by Don Saladino, in which he discussed the fact that he only began to garner acclaim within the past few years, and how he is actually grateful for the way this has played out.
“I’m lucky it happened in my 40s and not earlier, because I look at these young guys, like Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler — they’re doing stuff that I don’t think I could’ve done at their age,” Stan admitted, referencing the fact that his first piece of critical recognition came with his role in Pam and Tommy only three years ago, when he was turning 40.
Comparing his achievements to those by the likes of Chalamet and Butler, who both gained major acclaim from very early points in their respective careers, while they were in their twenties, Stan added: “I wasn’t ‘there’. I wasn’t caught up yet. I’m amazed at where they’re at, because I go, ‘Wow, where’s that guy gonna be at 40? Imagine…’, but for me, I needed to grow.”
Subsequently, Stan’s career has quickly grown from strength to strength in recent years, both in an artistic and blockbuster capacity. His two successive films in 2024, A Different Man and The Apprentice saw him garner universal praise, with the latter gaining him an Oscar nomination for ‘Best Actor’ for his portrayal of Donald Trump.
Although Stan was already playing the character of Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe prior to his breakthrough with Pam and Tommy, his status has only been elevated further in this year’s Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. He is set to reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday.
The actor also has a range of other critical projects in the pipeline, including a Romanian Frankenstein reimagining and a thriller named Burning Rainbow Farm, starring opposite Leo Woodall.
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