Sebastian Stan, who portrays a younger version of President Trump in the film “The Apprentice,” is among this year’s Academy Award nominees.
The 42-year-old performer snagged on Oscar nod in the best actor in a leading role category when nominations were announced on Thursday morning. Other actors nominated in the category include Adrien Brody in “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown” star Timothée Chalamet, “Conclave’s” Ralph Fiennes and Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing.”
“Succession” star Jeremy Strong, who plays Trump’s former attorney and mentor, Roy Cohn, in “The Apprentice” also received an Oscar nomination in the best actor in a supporting role category.
Last year, a lawyer for Trump sent a cease-and-desist letter to the filmmakers behind the movie, which focuses on his early years as a New York real estate developer before his political rise.
“The Movie presents itself as a factual biography of Mr. Trump, yet nothing could be further from the truth,” the letter from Trump attorney David Warrington said.
“The Apprentice” was released in U.S. theaters in October.
Director Ali Abassi said in remarks last year, “When we did this movie, everyone said, ‘Why do you want to make a movie with Trump? You know, if you want to tell something about the world, do it in a nice way, in a metaphorical way.'”
“There is no nice, metaphorical way to deal with the rising wave of fascism,” Abassi said. “The messy way, the banal way, is only the way of dealing with this wave on its own terms, at its own level.”
The 97th Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien, is scheduled to air live on ABC on March 2.
