Actor Sebastian Stan has spoken about his experience playing Edward, a man with a rare genetic disease in the psychological thriller A Different Man. A well-known make-up artist radically changed the appearance of the actor with Romanian origins.
Sebastian Stan starred in the movie “A different man” Photo: A24
Mike Marino, an Oscar-nominated make-up artist, used many layers of makeup and prosthetics, and made Sebastian Stan unrecognizable.
In Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man, Stan plays Edward, a man suffering from neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that affects the growth of nervous system cells, while his face is drastically altered. Tired of people making fun of his appearance, he decides to turn to reconstructive plastic surgery. He later becomes fascinated by Oswald, played by Adam Pearson, a young man who suffers from the same condition as him and who plays him in a play based on his former life, before the surgery.
Adam Pearson suffers from neurofibromatosis in real life, which has caused his face to be covered in tumors.
Sebastian Stan read the script of the film directed by Aaron Schimberg together with a doctor specializing in the rare condition that the main character suffers from. He also followed the testimonies of people who have rare genetic disease.
The Romanian-born actor also did a social experiment during filming when he wore makeup by Mike Marino. He walked the streets of New York to observe people’s reactions.
“We’re going to Broadway. It was a busy street. I was terrified, but I still went to have a coffee or hang out,” Sebastian Stan confessed, according to Entertainment Weekly. “He had a chance to live with people’s reactions and how they treated him,” Mike Marino also said.
“New York is pretty advanced in many ways, but I still got harsh reactions from people,” Sebastian Stan recalled. “For example, ‘Damn it!’, ‘Look at this!’ It was a scary experience. I would feel helpless in those situations. And I think a lot of times that’s how Edward felt in the movie,” Stan said.
What Sebastian Stan replied to a reporter who called his character a “monster”
Recently, at a press conference, Sebastian Stan reacted harshly to a journalist who called the character he played a “monster”. “What do you think happens after the transformation from this so-called monster into a handsome man? ” asked the reporter.
Sebastian Stan was quick to respond, claiming that the journalist had used an inappropriate word: “I’d like to say that it’s an uninspired choice of words here, because I think part of the film’s importance comes from the fact that, often, we don’t even have the right vocabulary. I think it’s a bit more complex than that, and obviously there are language barriers and so on, but you know, “monster” isn’t the right word, I think. Ultimately, it’s interesting to hear that point of view, because I feel, to a certain extent, that’s one of the themes of the film – that we have these preconceived ideas“, said the actor.
“We are not really educated in understanding this experience. So I can’t talk too much about it, but one of the things I love about the movie is that it gives you a way to look at this situation differently,” Stan added.
