Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan, stars of a new film about Donald Trump, told the BBC they fear the US presidential candidate’s criticism of the film could incite violence .
The former president tried to block the recent release of “The Apprentice” – which was released less than a month before the US presidential election.
Trump tweeted on social media on Sunday that the people involved in the production of the film were “scumbags.”
Stein said he believed the comments “incited violence,” while Strong said he began to feel the situation was “a little dangerous” after Trump’s comments.
Trump also claimed the film was “fake” and “a murderer” who was released ahead of the Nov. 5 vote to “try to hurt” his campaign.
The film’s star defended the film’s historical accuracy in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
When asked in an interview if he felt scared or apprehensive about starring in the film, Strong responded: “I never really felt it until yesterday that it felt a little unstable, a little dangerous, and in the crosshairs of the moment. .
He said Trump sparked an outpouring of hate by targeting the film’s screenwriter, Gabe Sherman, calling him a “lowlife” and questioning his credentials.
“yesterday [Sherman] Threats, death threats, attacks of anti-Semitic hatred,” Strong said.
Strong noted Trump’s use of the word “scum,” which he said was a term used by “Hitler and Stalin” and other dictators.
Stein, meanwhile, said the comments were “divisive. It’s inciting violence and it’s a threat.”
“Thanks to him, a lot of people now feel entitled to act like animals, and of course all we’re doing is sparking some conversation… about a guy who calls himself the leader of the free world and is on his way to running for president.”
The story of “The Apprentice” is set in the 1970s and 1980s. Trump, played by Stan, was just beginning to make a name for himself as a businessman in New York.
The film focuses on Trump’s relationship with attorney and mentor Roy Cohn (played by Succession’s Strong), who instilled certain values in Trump, such as never admitting defeat. .
Both actors noted that the film’s extensive research was “based on historical records.”
“It’s a movie, but I think it’s a responsible movie,” Strong said. “I think our goal was to be truthful. We weren’t trying to smear Trump, and I think a lot of people thought that was the only reason we made the film.”
The actor added that he believed “art is about speaking truth to power.”
Sherman, the film’s screenwriter, said at the London premiere earlier this week that he was “glad that he (Trump) is paying attention to this movie. It means it touches a nerve with people.”
