Sebastian Stan stars in the film “Fjord,” which was released in select theaters on Friday, October 9. For the lead role, Stan had to transform his appearance, leaving him looking almost unrecognizable.
Sebastian Stan’s Transformation in ‘Fjord’
Written and directed by Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, “Fjord” has been inspired by a true story. The synopsis, per IMDb, states: “An immigrant Romanian family living in Norway is subject to an investigation and faces the scrutiny of the local judicial system.” In an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Stan reflected on the changes he made to his appearance.
“[Mungiu] basically went online, as far as I understand, and asked fans of mine whether they would step forward for this experiment,” he said of the buzzcut transformation process. “Somebody went like, ‘I will do it,’ and then he got a fan to shave. They practiced on him basically.”
His haircut was reportedly inspired by a “poor Romanian guy they found, I guess, off the street.” He continued, “Props to him wherever you are out there.”
Sebastian Stan Willing to Embrace Changes for a Role
Stan also discussed how he was willing to change his appearance for a role. “I would do anything, obviously, I don’t like looking like myself, at least in work situations,” he said. “I want to put the character first; I want to serve the story, I think sometimes when you look like yourself, you get recognized for maybe a certain role you’ve played many, many times. You have to do a little bit of work to change the perspective.
This isn’t the first time Stan has commented on his appearance, and at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, he discussed how he felt about shaving his hair. He said he “felt good,” People reports. “We needed to make these people be as relatable as possible, as real as possible.” He added, “I saved a lot of time, to be honest! It’s very easy to move around. But look, whatever it takes.”
In an interview with E! News, Stan said he had to get used to seeing himself in the mirror. “It’s the point,” he said. “I mean, it’s just liberating when you’re not always looking at your stupid face.” Stan also revealed he wore no makeup for this movie, and that this was “amazing” and it saved “so much time.”
Sebastian Stan’s New Film Takes Him Back to His Roots
In an official poster shared on Instagram on September 3, fans expressed their excitement for the film. “Super excited! Really looking forward to watching this!” a comment reads. “Incredible film, very thought-provoking,” another person shared.
“Just saw it at TIFF and it will definitely win,” a third fan shared.
In an interview with USA Today on October 8, Stan reflected on his heritage. He was born in Romania but left for Austria with his mother at eight, and settled in New York at 12, the publication reports. The film gave him a chance to speak his native language, and he told the publication that working on the project felt like “a bit of a coming-home party for me.”
He continued, “I felt very embraced by the Romanian crew. I hung out with them every night; we spoke Romanian every day. Because I left [the country] so early, I felt like I’d been playing catch-up for a very long time. I definitely feel like I’ve arrived back to some old place that I left.”
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Sebastian Stan Reflects on His Unrecognizable Transformation for His Latest Role