Sebastian Stan called out a reporter for their “choice of words” while asking a question about his character Edward’s facial disfigurement in A Different Man. In the movie, Edward becomes obsessed with a man named Oswald (played by Adam Pearson). Meanwhile, Pearson has neurofibromatosis in the movie as well as in real life. In a resurfaced video from film’s press conference at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2024, Sebastian Stan confronted the reporter for using the term “so-called beast” to describe Edward.
Sebastian Stan talks neurofibromatosis at ‘A Different Man’ press conference
A video of the 2024 Berlin Film Festival recently went viral. At the press conference of “A Different Man,” Sebastian Stan addressed a reporter’s hasty comment while describing his character in the movie. The film follows the story of a man with neurofibromatosis named Edward, who undergoes a medical procedure to transform his appearance. However, he soon becomes obsessed with Oswald, who looks like his former self.
Addressing the cast, the reporter asked, “What do you think happens after the transformation from this so-called beast, as they call him, to this perfect man?” In response, Stan called the reporter out on the choice of words. He said, “I think part of why the film is important is because we often don’t have maybe even the right vocabulary, right? I mean, I think it’s a little bit more complex than that. And you know obviously there’s language barriers and so on and so forth.”
Stan continued, “But you know, beast isn’t the word, I think.” As the reporter acknowledged the comment, the actor said that the film shows the audience about having “preconceived ideas and we’re not really educated on how to understand this experience.” Stan further addressed the reporter’s take on the character. He stated how one’s interpretation of the character may vary. The “Avengers” actor also noted he loves that the film has multiple interpretations.
Sebastian Stan wore prosthetics to portray Edward. The character has neurofibromatosis in the first half of the film. However, soon after the surgery, he becomes fixated on Oswald. Meanwhile, Osward portrays him in a stage production based on Edward’s former life. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, neurofibromatosis is “a rare genetic disorder. It typically causes benign tumors of the nerves and growths in other parts of the body, including the skin.”
