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The Apprentice is a biographical drama film based on the rise of Donald Trump during the 1970s and 1980s. Directed by Ali Abbasi, the movie narrates the relationship between Trump and his lawyer Roy Cohn, as he navigated his way up into the world of New York real estate.
The story of The Apprentice is written by American journalist and author Gabriel Sherman, who has written for Vanity Fair and New York magazine. The movie was first announced back in 2018 but had to stay on recess for the next couple of years.
It was in the fall of 2023 when Ali Abbasi, Jeremy Strong, and Sebastian Stan joined the team. The Apprentice premiered on May 20, 2024, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and was theatrically released on October 11, 2024. The official synopsis of The Apprentice on Rotten Tomatoes reads:
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A young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), eager to make his name as a hungry second son of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the cutthroat attorney who would help create the Donald Trump we know today. "
The synopsis adds:
"Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protégé -- someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win."
Full list of cast in The Apprentice explored
1) Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump
In The Apprentice, Sebastian Stan takes up the role of a young Donald Trump during the 1970s and 1980s. The movie documents Trump as a rising figure in the world of real estate. He wants to nullify the controversy behind his father Fred Trump, the real estate mogul accused of discriminating against African-American tenants. Fred is under the radar of the federal government, and Trump seeks the help of Cohn, to get him out of it.
Stan is a Romanian-American actor who gained worldwide recognition for playing the role of Bucky Barnes in the MCU. He started out playing television roles in Gossip Girl (2007), Once Upon a Time (2012), and Political Animals (2012).
Eventually, he moved towards playing supporting roles in major movies including Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), The Martian (2015), and Lucky Logan (2017). His recent works include The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Fresh (2022), and A Different Man (2024).
2) Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn
Jeremy Strong plays the role of Roy Cohn in The Apprentice. Cohn was a famous lawyer in New York City who was known for the prosecution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a couple convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. He meets Trump at a New York restaurant and helps Trump to get his father out of the legal trouble. The two soon bond over an unconventional friendship.
Strong rose to popularity by playing Kendall Roy in HBO's satirical black comedy Succession. Alumni of Yale University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, his major works include Lincoln (2012), Parkland (2013), Selma (2014), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), and Armageddon Time (2022).
3) Maria Balakova as Ivana Marie Trump
Maria Bakalova plays the role of Czech model Ivana Zelníčková in the movie. Trump goes on to impress Ivana, and the two end up marrying. However, their relationship soon turns into disdain, when Ivan expresses her ambition to pursue a career in interior design.
Bakalova is a Bulgarian actress who first gained recognition for her role as Tutar Sagdiyev in the satirical film Borat (2020). Some of her major screen appearances include Transgression (2017), The Father (2019), Last Call (2020), Women Do Cry (2021), Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022). Bakalova also voiced the character Cosmo the Spacedog in the MCU.
4) Martin Donovan as Fred Trump
Martin Donovan plays the role of Donald Trump's father Frederick Christ Trump Sr. He was a real estate tycoon, who was investigated by the federal bureau for racial discrimination against African-American tenants. Cohn helps Trump, in settling the case of his father. Due to ego clashes, the relationship between Fred and his son grows weak with time.
Donovan is known for his collaborative works with director Hal Hartley, resulting in classic films including Trust (1990), Surviving Desire (1991), Simple Men (1992), Flirt (1995), and The Book of Life (1998). He is known for his work with Christopher Nolan's thrillers Insomnia (2002) and Tenet (2020).
The secondary cast of The Apprentice
The supporting actors in the movie include:
- Catherine McNally as Mary Anne Trump
- Ben Sullivan as Ruddell Eldridge
- Charlie Carrick as Freddy Trump
- Joe Pingue as Fat Tony Salerno
- Mark Rendall as Roger Stone
- Bruce Beaton as Andy Warhol
- Jim Monaco as Al Formicola
- Valerie O'Connor as Rona Barrett
- Ian D. Clark as Ed Koch
- Ron Lea as Victor Palmeiri
- James Madge as Tom Bolan
- Edie Inksetter as Barbara Katz
- Michael Hough as Kinney
- Robert J. Tavenor
The Apprentice is currently playing in theatres. It has received positive to mixed critical response.
