The stars of a newly-released film about Donald Trump, actors Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan, have told the BBC they are concerned about violence being incited by the US presidential candidate’s criticism of the film.
The ex-president tried to block the recent release of The Apprentice – which came less than a month before the US presidential election.
Trump called people involved in making the film “HUMAN SCUM” in a post on social media on Sunday.
Stan said he believed the comments were “inspiring violence”, while Strong said he was starting to feel the situation was “slightly dangerous” after Trump’s post.
Trump also claimed the film was “fake” and a “hatchet job” released right before the 5 November vote “to try and hurt” his campaign.
The film’s leads defended the film’s historical accuracy in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Strong, when asked during the interview whether he felt fear or concern about being in the film, replied: “It wasn’t really until yesterday that I felt a sense of this feels slightly precarious and slightly dangerous and being in the crosshairs of the moment.”
He said Trump targeting the film’s writer Gabe Sherman – calling him a “lowlife” and questioning his credentials – had sparked an influx of hate.
“Yesterday [Sherman] was barraged with threats, death threats, anti-semitic hate,” Strong said.
Strong noted Trump’s use of the words “human scum”, which the actor said “is a term used by Hitler and Stalin” and other dictators.
Stan, meanwhile, said the comments were “divisive. It’s inspiring violence, a threat.”
“Many people now, thanks to him, feel they have this permission to behave like animals, and all we’ve certainly tried to do is inspire some conversation…towards a person that calls himself the leader of the free world and is going to run for president.”
The Apprentice is set in the 1970s and 80s, when Trump, played by Stan, was beginning to make his name as a businessman in New York.
The film focuses on Trump’s relationship with lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn (played by Succession’s Strong), who instilled certain values in Trump such as never admitting defeat.
Both actors noted the film’s extensive research was “based in historical record”.
“It is a film, but I think it’s a responsible film,” Strong said. “I think we all aimed for veracity. We weren’t trying to vilify Trump, which I think a lot of people think that’s the only reason we would make this film.”
The actor added he believed “art is meant to speak truth to power”.
The film’s writer, Sherman, earlier this week at the London premiere had said he was “happy that he’s (Trump) is paying attention to the film. It means it’s touching a nerve.”
