Actor Sebastian Stan has built a career out of shapeshifting.

This week, he joins us to discuss the process of transforming into Donald J. Trump in The Apprentice (8:27 ), his personal relationship to the American dream (15:35 ), and the extensive research that went into recreating 1970s-1980s New York City in the film (17:27 ). Then, we unpack Sebastian’s Romanian upbringing (29:00 ), the gift of his unconventional, nomadic childhood (34:40 ), and what the film represents in this post-Election moment (38:30 ).

On the back-half, we talk about the impact of the late director Jonathan Demme (50:45 ), Stan’s radical and stunning work in A Different Man (55:08 ), what both of his new films reveal about reality (59:14 ), and what the silencing of The Apprentice—and his Actors on Actors shutout—reveals about the entertainment industry (1:00:00 ). To close, a reflection about control and how Sebastian embraces everyday life (1:17:55 ).

Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

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