Washington [US]: Actor Sebastian Stan recently discussed his aspirations for roles in two major film franchises–‘Star Trek’ and ‘Green Lantern’–that ultimately eluded him.
Though currently captivating audiences as Donald Trump in ‘The Apprentice’, Stan reminisced about the iconic roles he “desperately wanted,” as per an interview reported by Deadline.
Stan revealed that he was close to landing the role of Captain James T Kirk in JJ Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’ reboot released in 2009.
“There were a couple of things I didn’t get that I really desperately wanted,” he shared, adding, “I remember I was really, really close, and I remember I had a screen test with [Abrams] at Paramount.”
To prepare for the audition, his manager arranged a photo shoot aimed at mimicking classic images of the original Kirk, portrayed by William Shatner.
Despite his efforts, the role ultimately went to Chris Pine.
In addition to ‘Star Trek’, Stan also auditioned for the lead in ‘Green Lantern’, which went to Ryan Reynolds.
“Green Lantern was another that I screen tested for,” Stan recalled, adding, “I remember getting there, and it was like me, Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto, Ryan Reynolds and maybe one other person, and I’m looking at these guys going, ‘I’m f–ed! There’s no way this is happening!'”
Reflecting on these experiences, Stan expressed a sense of relief over not securing these high-profile roles.
“But you come close, and it wouldn’t happen, and in a way, I gotta tell you, looking back, I’m almost glad it didn’t. Because I don’t know if I could have handled that level of attention like some of those guys,” he admitted in an interview, as per Deadline.
Stan’s career trajectory took a significant turn following his early roles in ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Once Upon a Time’.
He has since gained acclaim for his performances in films such as ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, ‘I, Tonya’, and the Hulu series ‘Pam & Tommy’, the latter earning him his first Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Currently, Stan stars in ‘The Apprentice’, which depicts the early political rise of Donald Trump, alongside Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan as Fred Trump Sr.
The film, directed by Ali Abbasi offers audiences a nuanced look at Trump’s ascent to power through his controversial alliance with lawyer Roy Cohn, portrayed by Jeremy Strong.