What does dancing have to do with one of Sebastian Stan's most compelling roles yet?
Let's dig into the story of how he landed his role in "Fresh."
When it comes to film and TV roles, Sebastian Stan has developed a very distinct appetite.
Whether he's appearing as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Tommy Lee in "Pam and
Tommy," the actor has a taste for unconventional parts. Case in point: His character in "Fresh"
is certainly not what you would expect. The 2022 thriller skewers modern romance — though
the less you know about it going in, the better. Stan stars as Steve, a dreamy plastic surgeon who
runs into Daisy Edgar-Jones' character Noa at the grocery store. This meet-cute comes after
she's had a string of bad dates, and she can't help but feel like it's great timing. Director
Mimi Cave and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn make it really easy to get swept up in the excitement of
this new relationship, but you know what they say about something that seems too good to be true.
Stan is fantastic in this role, but he had an unusual way of landing it.
Here's how the actor convinced Cave he was up to the task.
Some mild spoilers for "Fresh" follow, so if you haven't seen the film and you'd
rather not know any details, come back and watch this after you've given it a watch.
It turns out Steve is a psychopath who has plans to literally strip Noa for parts and sell her
meat to some people who would pay a whole lot of money for it — and she's not even his only victim.
"No, this isn't happening."
"Yeah, it's happening."
He's only too happy to take these women apart bit by bit,
consuming or selling every piece of them, and obviously enjoying the whole terrible process.
Music plays a pivotal role in the film. This makes sense, considering Cave was making music
videos prior to making her feature debut with "Fresh," so she knows a thing or two about a
killer needle drop. The film prominently features artists such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Duran Duran,
Richard Marx, and even a Radiohead cover. Steve has a real love for '80s and '90s pop, and
whether he's tenderizing human flesh or surgically removing body parts, he's singing and dancing his
way through it. It's one of the more chilling aspects of the film, and also shows off Stan's
acting skills. He can go from immensely charming to straight-up terrifying without warning.
"Can you just give me one smile, please?"
In an interview with Newsweek, Cave explained that
Stan demonstrated this by sending her a video of himself dancing in his kitchen,
while wielding a steak knife. It was proof of his willingness to commit to Steve's wild character.
Stan later posted the video on Instagram, and you can certainly see he was the perfect actor
to play Steve from the beginning. In fact, Cave had already decided to cast Stan in
the role before he sent her the clip, though it did cement him in her mind as the right choice.
In fact, it's difficult to imagine any other actor in the role of Steve.
It had to be a person who the audience would believe could cause Noa to throw
caution to the wind, as well as someone viewers would wholeheartedly grow to hate
with every fiber of their being. That's not easy to pull off.
Cave explained to Newsweek that she and Stan worked together for months to get Steve
just right, and the director was inspired by her star's commitment to the character.
She also knew that he was capable of making viewers grow to hate him thanks to his role
as Jeff Gillooly in "I, Tonya" alongside Margot Robbie. Because of that commitment,
and the choices he was making, Cave was confident that Stan could make Steve work.
According to Cave, from her perspective, Stan seemed to be deeply immersed in the
tone of the character and the film at all times, even between takes.
Apparently, Cave and Edgar-Jones are both, quote, "goofballs," which kept the set light despite the
heavy subject matter of the film. And that sense of levity is also important to the overall tone.
"Fresh" is the kind of movie that will stick with viewers for days because of its clever
premise and unsettling subject matter, but also because of its ability to lean into
dark comedy. These tonal shifts are a fine tightrope that the film walks with confidence,
and Stan's performance is key to making that work. Not only did he know exactly
what kind of a movie he was in, but it seems like he had a lot of fun making it.
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