Sebastian Stan Defends 'Conservative' Themes in New Film 'Fjord'

Actor Sebastian Stan is defending the "conservative" themes in his latest film, "Fjord," which depicts a religious family facing suspicion and legal challenges in a progressive European country. During an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," Stan addressed host Michael Kosta's observation that the film could be seen as "fairly conservative."

"I think that's a pretty fair assessment, but that should not necessarily cancel out the issues that, you know, this family is facing or that the feelings that they have and the desire that they have to, you know, raise the kids in the best way they can," Stan said. He added, "I mean, this is one thing. Like, when did conservative become so wrong?"

The film "Fjord" stars Stan and Renate Reinsve as a Christian couple who move to a Norwegian village and are subsequently suspected of child abuse by a society that views their traditional methods with skepticism. The narrative follows their fight to regain custody of their children.

Stan, who did not grow up in a religious household, urged audiences to consider the perspectives of characters like those he portrays. "As long as there is curiosity at least instead of immediate judgment, maybe there is something else there, but if a family is trying to stay together, we should at least give them the benefit of the doubt, and maybe they are trying to do it for the right reasons," he told Kosta.

In a separate interview with USA Today, Stan pushed back against critics who labeled the film as promoting a "right-wing ideology." He argued that the film's themes are nuanced and could be universally understood. "They’re not understanding the nuances," Stan stated. "I find it almost laughable to label it a ‘MAGA film’ when it's essentially about an immigrant family going to a different country and being torn apart. We could change Norway for the United States, and Romania for Mexico, or any number of places where that’s happening."

Stan suggested that the divisive nature of the commentary online contributes to the misinterpretation of the film. "In America, it’s going right to the heart of this divisive issue that we’re currently having, and the reason people are writing it off or feel it’s a propaganda piece is because we’ve normalized finger-pointing," he said. "This judgmental, dismissive attitude that plays out online is quite dangerous and naïve – but it’s unfortunately predictable in today’s time."

"Fjord" is reportedly inspired by a 2015 case in which Norwegian residents Ruth and Marius Bodnariu had their five children removed from their custody. The separation lasted for seven months amid legal proceedings in Norway before the family was reunited.

Stan, widely recognized for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also recently portrayed a young Donald Trump in the 2024 film "The Apprentice." While discussing that role, Stan told Entertainment Weekly that he believes in normalizing the portrayal of public figures, even those with strong and polarizing public perceptions. "There's also a valid argument to be made in terms of, 'Well, I know what happened. I know what kind of guy he is. I see him all the time,'" he said. "Still, I think there is value in normalizing people that we feel strongly about. And people feel very strongly about him in two different extremes: He's either God's son or he's Lucifer incarnate, and I think we need to bring him back down to earth."

NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck commented on the irony of Stan's remarks, noting his participation in a film about Trump. "It's richly ironic Sebastian Stan would say this after playing a young Donald Trump in an anti-Trump film that the liberal, elitist Hollywood press loved," Houck stated. "It must not be so fun for Sebastian now that he's made a movie that isn't as interesting to these same cinephiles."