From his portrayal of Bucky Barnes — aka Winter Soldier — in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to his recent stint as legendary rocker Tommy Lee in Hulu's "Pam and Tommy," Sebastian Stan has cemented himself in the pop culture pantheon as a talented and versatile actor. One of his most recent starring roles, "Fresh," however, is quite the departure for the star. Part commentary on modern relationships, part spine-tingling horror flick, the movie doesn't shy away from exploring some truly terrifying and shocking themes. In order to land the role of Steve, a dreamboat plastic surgeon with a dark secret, Stan made some ... unexpected moves, and you just might be surprised how well he embodied his character — before he even stepped into Steve's shoes. This is how Sebastian Stan really landed his disturbing "Fresh" role.
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00:00What does dancing have to do with one of Sebastian Stan's most compelling roles yet?
00:05Let's dig into the story of how he landed his role in Fresh.
00:09When it comes to film and TV roles, Sebastian Stan has developed a very distinct appetite.
00:14Whether he's appearing as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,
00:18or Tommy Lee in Pam and Tommy, the actor has a taste for unconventional parts.
00:23Case in point, his character in Fresh is certainly not what you would expect.
00:28The 2022 thriller skewers modern romance, though the less you know about it going in, the better.
00:35Stan stars as Steve, a dreamy plastic surgeon who runs into Daisy Edgar-Jones' character,
00:40Noah, at the grocery store. This meet-cute comes after she's had a string of bad dates,
00:46and she can't help but feel like it's great timing. Director Mimi Cave and screenwriter
00:51Lauren Kahn make it really easy to get swept up in the excitement of this new relationship.
00:56But you know what they say about something that seems too good to be true.
01:00Stan is fantastic in this role, but he had an unusual way of landing it.
01:05Here's how the actor convinced Cave he was up to the task.
01:09Some mild spoilers for Fresh follow, so if you haven't seen the film and you'd rather
01:13not know any details, come back and watch this after you've given it a watch.
01:17It turns out Steve is a psychopath who has plans to literally strip Noah for parts
01:22and sell her meat to some people who would pay a whole lot of money for it.
01:26And she's not even his only victim.
01:28No, no, this isn't happening.
01:31Yeah, it's happening.
01:33He's only too happy to take these women apart bit by bit, consuming or selling every piece of them,
01:39and obviously enjoying the whole terrible process.
01:42Music plays a pivotal role in the film. This makes sense, considering Cave was making music
01:48videos prior to making her feature debut with Fresh, so she knows a thing or two about a killer
01:52needle drop. The film prominently features artists such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Duran Duran,
01:58Richard Marks, and even a Radiohead cover.
02:01Steve has a real love for 80s and 90s pop, and whether he's tenderizing human flesh or
02:06surgically removing body parts, he's singing and dancing his way through it.
02:10It's one of the more chilling aspects of the film, and also shows off Stan's acting skills.
02:15He can go from immensely charming to straight-up terrifying without warning.
02:19Can't you just give me one smile, please?
02:22In an interview with Newsweek, Cave explained that Stan demonstrated this by sending her a
02:26video of himself dancing in his kitchen, while wielding a steak knife. It was proof of his
02:31willingness to commit to Steve's wild character. Stan later posted the video on Instagram,
02:37and you can certainly see he was the perfect actor to play Steve from the beginning.
02:41In fact, Cave had already decided to cast Stan in the role before he sent her the clip,
02:45though it did cement him in her mind as the right choice.
02:48In fact, it's difficult to imagine any other actor in the role of Steve.
02:52It had to be a person who the audience would believe could cause Noah to throw caution to
02:56the wind, as well as someone viewers would wholeheartedly grow to hate with every fiber
03:00of their being. That's not easy to pull off. Cave explained to Newsweek that she and Stan
03:06worked together for months to get Steve just right, and the director was inspired by her
03:10star's commitment to the character. She also knew that he was capable of making viewers grow to hate
03:15him, thanks to his role as Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya, alongside Margot Robbie. Because of that
03:21commitment, and the choices he was making, Cave was confident that Stan could make Steve work.
03:27According to Cave, from her perspective, Stan seemed to be deeply immersed in the tone of
03:31the character and the film at all times, even between takes. Apparently, Cave and Edgar Jones
03:37are both, quote, "...goofballs," which kept the set light despite the heavy subject matter of
03:42the film. And that sense of levity is also important to the overall tone. Fresh is the
03:47kind of movie that will stick with viewers for days, because of its clever premise and
03:51unsettling subject matter, but also because of its ability to lean into dark comedy.
03:57These tonal shifts are a fine tightrope that the film walks with confidence,
04:01and Stan's performance is key to making that work. Not only did he know exactly what kind
04:06of a movie he was in, but it seems like he had a lot of fun making it.