During the press conference for Aaron Schimberg's A Different Man, Sebastian Stan called out a journalist who referred to his character with facial disfigurement as a "beast." The actor was questioned by a Bulgarian journalist regarding one of the main plot points of the movie. He asked him a question about his character's “transformation from this so-called 'beast' to this perfect man.”

Sebastian Stan speaks out against journalist’s ‘beast’ comment

Calling out the journalist for his insensitive remark, Stan emphasised the use of the right vocabulary to address the people with any kind of physical disfigurement. The actor said, “I have to call you out a little bit on the choice of words there, because I think part of why the film is important is because we often don’t have the right vocabulary. I think it’s a little bit more complex than that, and obviously there are language barriers, but you know, ‘beast’ isn’t the word.” 

Stan plays Edward in Schimberg's A Different Man, who is offered a chance to take part in a drug trial to remove his facial disfigurement, only to fall into the chasm that opens when outward appearances change faster than someone’s self-identity can keep pace with.

Sebastian Stan on trying to do different roles 

“Getting to walk out there a little bit in the world and just even remotely trying to experience what, you know, might be an everyday experience for somebody was very eye-opening,” Stan told Reuters on Friday at the Berlin Film Festival, where the Aaron Schimberg-directed feature is competing for the top prize.

Stan, best known for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, said that he has sought out more meaningful projects and directors who allow him to push himself, which he found with A Different Man.

“This particular subject matter isn’t something that’s actually gotten a lot of light, you know, in terms of disability, disfigurement and how we perceive it,” said Stan. “I think this just offers a conversation, at least, and an awareness that hasn’t been there before,” he added.