The profession of acting only bends at the will of creativity. What a performer can achieve is limited by the extent of their dedication to the arts and the extent of their passion. Some actors are quick to find their niche and are able to fall into their comfort zone, playing the same type of character across their filmography. Others develop a reputation for themselves as they build credibility through how they are able to advance their skills in each role. The direct definition of acting captures an isolated concept of what the expressive art form has the potential to be and how it can take shape as new approaches to acting are brought into practice. Versatility and acting need to be coupled together for the performing arts to flourish. Whether it be an ode to Shakespeare brought to life at the Globe Theater or slam poetry tucked away in a bustling city’s speakeasy, performances do not abide by any binary.
Romanian superstar Sebastian Stan has successfully made a name for himself as an in-demand leading man across film, television, and brand representation. While he may be closely associated with his stint with Marvel Studios, most recently revisited through The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Stan has worked hard to expand his capabilities as a performer. He boasts a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Acting that attests he is equipped with the right tools to elevate his career to the next level. Of Marvel Studios fame, Stan shakes away the notion that his acting expertise has been capped by comic book superhero movies. As he is included in a diverse range of film and television, both past and present, his work is flattered as each year allows each role to marinate in the passing of time. An extensive collection of on-screen credits supports the notion that Stan is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most versatile actor.
Sebastian Stan Wasn’t Always a Movie Star
Before he was the Winter Soldier and continued to pave his way towards earning his status as a hotly-demanded performer in Hollywood, Stan found his footing in the industry by picking up television roles. While his first role to date was 71 Fragments of Chronology of Chance, it was Law & Order that immersed him into the world of performing for the screen. The Law & Order role was given to Stan while he was still attending Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts in pursuit of an acting degree. Stan’s portfolio presents him as an artist who is comfortable with multiple types of on-screen performances and has gained experience in both film and television.
Throughout his initial television career, the actor bounded from genre to genre. His work on Gossip Girl was greatly different from his recurring appearances as the Mad Hatter in Once Upon a Time. Even between his television roles, Stan was able to exhibit diversity in each project he was cast. Being on television was instrumental in preparing the actor to adapt and adjust according to what different mediums may require. As Stan has immersed himself in the two most popular forms of on-screen acting, he is able to benefit from what each has to offer. The two are far from congruent, and Stan is able to transfer his skill between filmmaking and television productions. Recent releases such as Fresh or Pam & Tommy would not underscore Stan’s growth accurately without his humble television roles to look back on.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Was a Stepping Stone
Stan making his Marvel debut as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger brought one of the most important supporting characters in the Captain America comics to life. His endearing personification of the White Wolf before, during, and after his Winter Soldier era ushered Bucky through direly important transitions of his character that were indispensable for his on-screen development. Past experiences from projects outside the MCU were able to influence how Stan’s presentation of the World War II veteran was not an impersonation of his last performance as Bucky. The actor was able to depict a smooth redemption arc at a picture-by-picture rate that satisfied his time spent with Marvel Studios.
Other projects interlude Stan’s time away from Marvel, where he could use other titles such as I, Tonya, or Logan Lucky to shape how each of his assigned characters were internalized. The decision to use Marvel Studios as a stepping stone and not commit fully to the production company could allow him to hone his skills elsewhere. The versatility of his on-screen presence was made more malleable through exposures to different genres. Traditionally, blockbuster movies are perceived as the endgame for performers and are treated as a "final destination" when examining career goals. Stan doesn't align with the idea that these mega-releases are the end-all for performers and has continued to expand his roles past the blockbusters.
Keeping His Mind Open to New Roles
Much like a number of his MCU peers, Stan has expanded himself past the confines of a singular venture. He’s spoken about the future of his career as a performer and has shared that he is inclined to choose roles that are more adventurous and unfamiliar. He hopes that he can deviate away from being associated with the superhero genre as a sole proprietor of his fame and looks to diverse opportunities to grow his filmography. The hunger to watch his body of work grow has encouraged an open-minded attitude from an artist orientation. In an interview with IndieWire, Stan said "more and more as I’ve gotten older, when I read something that really kind of freaks me out a little bit and I get the voice that’s like, ‘Don’t ever go near this,’ then I’m more drawn to it as a result." He then added, “I find usually that fear is a good indicator of something that I have to sort of step into perhaps to understand better.”
The multimedia performer shared his anxieties about becoming all too comfortable within a certain form of acting or accepting roles that he's overly familiar with. There's a need to step back from a level of comfort that can lead to stale or underwhelming performances, especially if they align with similar traits. Because of the observant understanding that there is the possibility of becoming associated with one style of acting, Stan has become more aware of the roles he has accepted or declined. “I feel like I’m just as anxious now about what do I do next as I was a few years ago. I don’t know if that’s ever going to change, and I don’t know if I’m ever going to want it to change. I hate comfort. I don’t like to feel comfortable, work-wise. I feel it’s easy to get comfortable. I think it’s easy to get sort of trapped as an actor and to just do things.”