Cannes 2026 | Sebastian Stan Slams Donald Trump Two Years After Apprentice: 'We’re In A Really Bad Place'

Actor Sebastian Stan is at Cannes 2026 for his latest movie, Fjord, which premiered on Monday, followed by a thunderous standing ovation, turning him and his co-star Renate Reinsve emotional. Last time he was in the fest was for The Apprentice, where he played Donald Trump. Directed by Ali Abbasi, the film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the prestigious Palme d'Or.

Sebastian Stan slams Donald Trump at Cannes

At a press conference on Tuesday, the Avengers alum was asked how Trump has evolved since the premiere of The Apprentice. The film was in Cannes just months before the 2024 election.

The press room burst into laughter as Stan looked down and shook his head, responding to the question.

Giving a stern expression, he said, “It’s not a laughing matter,” adding, “I think we’re in a really, really bad place. I really do.”

“When you’re looking at what’s happening, which is the consolidation of the media, censorship, the threats, the supposed lawsuits that seemingly never end, but don’t actually go anywhere, you know, the writing was on the wall,” he said further, adding that they encountered that with The Apprentice.

“We were unsure if the movie would play the festival. Maybe people are paying more attention to that film. We went through all of that before Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. Wish it wasn’t like that,” he said.

About The Apprentice controversy

The movie sparked backlash from Trump, condemning it, and he also swore to sue the makers over a scene in the movie depicting him raping his then-wife, Ivana Trump. He had also sent a cease and desist letter to the producers, preventing the movie from being screened in America. 

Meanwhile, Stan's Fjord, where he plays a Romanian Christian conservative, is director Christian Mungiu's 7th film to play at Cannes. It is also Mungiu's English debut.