The Golden Globes Just Made the MCU’s Sebastian Stan an Oscar Hopeful

It’s a good time to be Sebastian Stan. Not only has the actor been a significant part of the MCU, but he has also built a steadily impressive resume while getting to have a little fun as the Winter Soldier. Much of this has culminated with the actor appearing in two films that have earned awards-season buzz with his turn as Donald Trump in The Apprentice and his dark comedy A Different Man. When an actor appears in two films that garner award attention, sometimes they cancel themselves out with voters, or a performer will campaign harder for one film over the other. Stan hasn’t really been doing the latter as he has, for his part, promoted both films frequently so he can do his best to keep them in front of the necessary voting bodies.

This paid off with the Golden Globes as Stan earned two nominations for each performance in two different categories (The Apprentice put him in Drama while A Different Man had him representing comedy). The actor ultimately took home the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor – Musical or Comedy for A Different Man, and, after a speech that likely got the attention of Academy voters, he may have earned his spot in that final five, and that’s why he should shift all of his attention to this particular role.

Sebastian Stan’s Golden Globes Speech for ‘A Different Man’ Spoke to Academy Voters

Most of this comes down to Stan’s speech following his Golden Globe win for A Different Man. If you’re one to follow awards seasons, part of the game is pure talent, and the other part is pleasing the voters with a narrative that would turn your nomination or win into a huge success story. The actor gave one of the night’s best speeches, showing his humble beginnings and appreciation for the art form that has afforded him so much. In addition to this, Stan spoke to the theme of A Different Man, a film that follows a man who is facially disfigured and undergoes a procedure to change his face, only to have his new life not go as expected.

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He began his speech about how we need to stop our ignorance and discomfort around people with disabilities and deformities and start teaching inclusion, especially to our kids. It’s something that Stan has been driving home throughout his promotion of the film, and it’s especially something that can be seen through his friendship with his co-star Adam Pearson, someone who was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1, which causes non-cancerous tumors to grow on nerve tissue. The actor has shown steadfast support for Pearson and has frequently tried to put him in the limelight during awards season, even more so than himself. That is not going unnoticed by Academy voters, especially after his Globes one.

Another aspect of his speech that likely hit with voters was that he mentioned The Apprentice in his speech as well, which was the other film he was nominated for that night. Stan stressed that both films were difficult to make but made it clear that he had no regrets. Both movies were likely hard to make for different reasons, as The Apprentice, which focuses on Donald Trump’s early career as a real-estate businessman in New York City, was released during the heart of the presidential election and came under a lot of scrutiny from Trump and his team, as well as others in Hollywood (Stan mentioned that publicists for other performers didn’t want their talent to be paired with him for Variety’s Actors on Actors because of the Trump connection). Despite this, Stan never wavered and continued to stomp for the film and was steadfast in his opinion as to why the film should be seen.

Sebastian Stan Touched on How Hard ‘A Different Man’ Was to Make

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Release Date

October 3, 2024

Runtime

112 Minutes

Cast

Sebastian Stan
, Renate Reinsve
, Adam Pearson
, Miles G. Jackson
, Patrick Wang
, Neal Davidson

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It was important to mention that film in his speech, primarily because some voters will respect how hard it is to get smaller films made and how much harder it can be to shop them when they’re controversial. For A Different Man, the issue is a bit different. Despite showing up at the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival, this is a very small movie that hasn’t received a lot of exposure, even with a release from A24.

Reviews have been solid (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), but it’s a movie that has only grossed $1.2 million and hasn’t had many eyes on it. Everyone involved, particularly Stan, because of his more mainstream success, has done everything he can to get the movie more exposure. Of his two films, A Different Man is the easier sell for voters because it’s less controversial and its themes are topical. Stan also has never shifted the focus from the film’s themes.

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Lastly, Stan spoke of his mom in his speech and how she left Romania to give him a better life, and he mentioned his step-father, who had no problem getting into a relationship with a single mother who had a grown child. After he said his step-father taught him what it was like to really be a man, it was clear that as the speech concluded, there would be more people taking notice of Stan and his performance in that particular film. If anything, he showcased his integrity and his willingness to be vulnerable to voters and the audience.

Stan did all the right things with his speech. In 1 minute and 33 seconds, the actor was able to garner the attention of the audience, with some of them actually being Academy voters sitting there live and for the voters at home. It was humble, gracious, and completely unselfish. His performance in A Different Man is stellar, and there is no doubt about that, but with his speech at the Golden Globes, he tapped into the other angle of awards season, and that is getting voters to know YOU.

He established his character and, while some think these narratives can come off as false to earn awards, Stan’s felt genuine from start to finish and did more than enough to keep him in mind so he hears his name on the morning of the Oscar nominations. A Different Man is available to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube.