Just when you thought Sebastian Stan couldn’t lean even more into his growing cult icon status, the trailer dropped Tuesday for “A Different Man.”
There’s no way you’ll be able to guess the plot to Aaron Schimberg’s latest movie, so let me tell you about it. The story follows an aspiring actor named Edward (Sebastian Stan) who suffered from a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis, causing tumors to coat his skin and bones, according to Variety. It’s a very real condition, one suffered by Stan’s co-star Adam Pearson, as seen in the trailer.
After Edward undergoes reconstructive surgery and receives heaps of praise from friends and coworkers, he meets Oswald (Pearson) an actor who is playing him in a theatrical production based on his life. This is when Edward becomes obsessed with Oswald, and the dark comedy ensues.
Stan apparently walked around New York City with his prosthetics on to see how people would react to his appearance, Variety reported.
British actor Adam Pearson poses during a photo call for the film ‘A Different Man’ presented in competition at the 74th Berlinale, Europe’s first major film festival of the year, in Berlin on February 16, 2024. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP) (Photo by RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 20: Sebastian Stan attends the “The Apprentice” Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 16: Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson and Sebastian Stan pose at the “A Different Man” photocall during the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Grand Hyatt Hotel on February 16, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
“I interacted with people and it was really interesting,” Stan said at the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, according to Variety. “It was sort of scary to see how limited the interaction is between two extremes: don’t address it or overcompensation. The only people that were the most honest were kids. I had this interaction with a little girl, and her mom is trying to do the right thing, but in doing the right thing she actually was preventing the girl from simply having an experience. She was brave and courageous, and that’s kids, right? They just want to know — they don’t have judgement. It was a learning lesson for me.” (RELATED: REVIEW: ‘Pam & Tommy’ Is The Gut-Wrenching History Of The Celebrity Sex Tape And Revenge Porn)
Apparently the movie really leans into mocking the so-called political correctness of the situation, making both Stan and Pearson play characters who are complex and insufferable in their own unique ways.
