Jeremy Strong has sparked Oscar buzz for his role as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice, a film about Donald Trump’s early years. However, he revealed that every studio initially rejected the project.
In an interview with The Times of London, Strong explained that the film, which also stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, struggled to find a U.S. distributor for months. After its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the Trump campaign issued a cease-and-desist letter claiming the film was a “libelous farce” and accused it of being “direct foreign interference” in American elections due to its funding sources from Canada and Ireland. This tactic effectively scared off potential distributors.
Strong expressed his disappointment with Hollywood’s reaction, stating, “I found it profoundly disturbing and a dark harbinger of things to come. Frankly, everyone in Hollywood passed on it because they were afraid of litigation or repercussions. I don’t think Hollywood has ever been a bastion of bravery.”
The Apprentice explores Trump’s life in the 1970s as he takes over his family’s real estate business under Cohn’s guidance. Strong described the film as a “Frankenstein movie,” emphasizing that Cohn’s legacy of denial influenced Trump’s worldview.
Despite the challenges, The Apprentice received critical acclaim at Cannes, where it garnered an eight-minute standing ovation. However, its journey to theaters was fraught with difficulties due to legal threats and industry fears.
The film’s director, Ali Abbasi, noted that it was unusual for such a well-received film to face such resistance from distributors. The only domestic distributor willing to take on the project was Briarcliff Entertainment, which allowed Abbasi final cut over the film.
As discussions around The Apprentice continue, Strong’s performance and the film’s controversial subject matter keep it in the spotlight, raising questions about Hollywood’s willingness to tackle challenging narratives.
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