Sebastian Stan slams Donald Trump, talks about censorship in America at Cannes 2026: ‘We’re in a really bad place'

At Cannes 2026, Sebastian Stan discusses the chilling effects of corporate control on media, reflecting on the backlash faced by his film The Apprentice.

While attending the Cannes Film Festival 2026 to celebrate the premiere of his highly anticipated new drama Fjord, Marvel alumnus Sebastian Stan took a moment to speak candidly about his deepening anxieties regarding the current political and media climate in the United States. During a press interaction, the actor opened up about the systemic censorship, and lingering legal threats that have followed him since portraying Donald Trump in the controversial biopic The Apprentice.

On the political climate

At Cannes 2026, Stan did not mince words. He expressed an increasing uneasiness with the cultural direction of the country. “I think we’re in a really, really bad place. I really do,” the actor stated.

He expanded on this by highlighting the chilling effect of corporate control and legal intimidation in modern media. “And to be honest with you, when you’re looking at what’s happening, right — if we’re talking about the consolidation of the media, censorship, threats, the supposed lawsuits that seemingly never end but don’t actually go anywhere. You know, the writing was on the wall. We encountered all that with the movie.”

The Apprentice controversy

Stan recalled the harsh reality during the production and distribution of The Apprentice. Directed by Ali Abbasi, the film, which chronicles Trump’s early rise under the tutelage of fixer Roy Cohn, became a lightning rod for controversy. Ahead of its initial 2024 Cannes premiere, Trump publicly condemned the project as garbage and pure fiction, aggressively threatening legal action to block its release.

The actor revealed just how close the film came to being suppressed entirely. “You know, the writing was on the wall. We encountered all that with the movie'. Three days before the festival, [we were] unsure if the movie was going to play at the festival,” he recalled.

Stan noted that the pushback The Apprentice faced foreshadowed the broader cultural warfare now targeting late-night comedy and mainstream media. “Three days before the festival, [we were] unsure if the movie was going to play the festival,” Stan said. “So maybe people are paying attention more to that film, I think it will stand the test of time for that. But we went through all of it, right before Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert and so on. So, I wish it wasn’t like that.”

Despite the exhausting backlash, Stan believes the industry-wide resistance to the film might ultimately cement its legacy. “So maybe people are paying attention more to that film; I think it will stand the test of time for that."

Fjord premieres at Cannes 2026

Stan’s primary reason for being at Cannes was the premiere of Fjord, a new drama directed by Cristian Mungiu. The film earned an emotional 10-minute standing ovation from the festival crowd.

In Fjord, Stan stars alongside Renate Reinsve. The two portray parents from a deeply religious Romanian family who relocate to a quiet Norwegian village. Their lives are shattered when a school inspection uncovers bruises on their daughter, prompting local authorities to abruptly remove all five of their children. The film follows the agonizing legal and emotional warfare that ensues.