Sebastian Stan Says Playing a Man with a Facial Disfigurement Alongside Adam Pearson ‘Was All About Trust’ (Exclusive)
“Disfigurement and disability is unique in terms of you don’t get it until you get it. So I have to find parallels to help so I can get [someone’s] hooks into this and sort of process it differently,” he says. “And I always say that the two ways to lose your social anonymity in a society in 2024 are to either have some kind of disagreement or disability or to become a celebrity.”
“And so while [Stan] might not know the level of invasiveness, I feel with kind of pointing, stares and camera phones, he absolutely gets it from the other angle,” Pearson adds.
Though Pearson has a handful of acting credits to his name, A Different Man makes for a larger role — and a higher-profile release — than his past films. The actor tells PEOPLE he has “been putting off [the movie’s release] in my mind for quite a while” prior to its press tour.
“I sat down on the plane on Sunday and just thought, ‘Oh no, this is happening. It’s happening now,’ ” he says. “And my family as a whole are a bit not fussed about it, which is good ’cause it kind of keeps me humble and keeps me in check at home.”
“I’m gonna enjoy this while it’s happening. If this is the end, I’ve gone out on a high,” he says, when asked where his acting career may take him next. “I’ve made some great friends. I’m going to be friends with [Stan] for the rest of my life, if he’s willing.”
“We’ll see what happens, but yeah — Kevin Feige, call me,” Pearson adds, jokingly referencing the Marvel Studios executive and Stan’s role as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A Different Man is in theaters now.
