Pam & Tommy Makes It Official, Sebastian Stan Is The Internet's (Sleazy) Boyfriend
The assification of Sebastian Stan is gloriously upon us. This might be a difficult reality to accept, given Stan's status as a beloved internet boyfriend, but it's time to face the facts: Sebastian Stan makes an excellent douchebag. You know it, I know it, and clearly, Craig Gillespie knows it because after seeing the MCU star embrace his sleazy side in "I, Tonya," he called him up for the titular role of abusive creep Tommy Lee in "Pam & Tommy." The show traces the scandalous tale of "Baywatch" star Pamala Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, whose honeymoon sex tape was famously leaked to the public.
In case you haven't seen the first few episodes of Hulu's new miniseries, just know that there's no shortage of icky hijinks for Stan to partake in. In fact, the rockstar pretty much spends the entire first episode strolling around in a speedo whilst treating everyone around him like utter crap. All the while, it's impossible to look away from Stan, who's giving one of the most compelling performances of his entire career. And when you look back at his other top contenders, you'll notice a neat little pattern: being an absolute a-hole brings out the best in Sebastian Stan.
Now I know what you're thinking: Sebastian Stan? A douche?! Not with that prince charming face of his! That's a great point — it's only a matter of time before we learn he's been cast in the latest live-action adaptation of some fairy tale or other, but I promise it won't be nearly as fun as his next sleazy douchebag role. And you can trust me on that, because I've already seen it happen. But more on that later. The important takeaway is this: being an irredeemable creep is Stan's new niche, and we're just gonna have to accept him for who he is. While his role as Captain American's BFF Bucky Barnes (AKA The Winter Soldier) cemented his internet boyfriend status, darkness is where Stan thrives.
I Can Fix Him
All things considered, Bucky wasn't exactly a boy scout. It's nice that we can chalk up most of his wrongdoings to brainwashing, but that was still Sebastian Stan's fists pounding into all our favorite heroes — and boy did we love it. Let's not pretend that Bucky's 1940s flirting techniques are what caught our eye. People hopped aboard the Stan train because of his appearance in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," as the relentless antagonist hellbent on wreaking havoc. Who doesn't love a good villain? And that's the thing about Stan — he's been bustling around Hollywood, embracing his villainous side for ages. Long before he committed mass murder as Captain America's BFF, Sebastian Stan became a teen heartthrob the old-fashioned way: by starring in a teen drama.
For a brief yet critical 11 episodes, Stan was a smirking, smooth-talking high society jerk on "Gossip Girl." And he wasn't just your typical a**hole, Stan's Carter Baizen was basically introduced to out-douche Chuck Bass and makes the show's resident douche be the hero for once. Not only is this an early example of Stan's sleazeball talents, but he also got to strike the very important balance between conniving and suave. This is key because, for a lot of his more notable roles, Stan slides into one of his two niche corners: sleazy yet endearing, or suave but secretly sleazy. Carter Baizen is the latter, hiding behind money, blazers, and charm, but ultimately spends his screentime duping the show's lead so he can get into her pants.
In his upcoming movie "Fresh," Stan kinda reprises this irresistibly douchey role as Steve, a romantic counterpart for Daisy Edgar Jones' Noa. The film tracks her trials and tribulations when it comes to the awful world of 21st-century dating, which is terribly unbearable until Stan enters the movie. She has an adorable meet-cute with the handsome plastic surgeon and all seems well — but then the movie derails into uh, pretty nasty territory and we see that Steve isn't half as charming as he seems. Sebastian Stan does some pretty horrific things for the runtime of the film but I'll be honest dear reader, I've never loved him more.
Hear me out — lots of internet boyfriends are known for being approachable awkward sweethearts — who doesn't love a Tom Holland or Timothee Chalamet? — but if the Tumblr era taught us anything, it's how much more fun it is to stick with the jerks. Loki, Hannibal, Edward, Bucky and so many more do terrible things but deep in the recesses of our minds, we can't help but think ... I can fix him. And it's so hard not to have this thought when Stan is so perfectly walking the line between awful and adorkable, so you can understand where I'm coming from. But then there's the other side of his sleazy niche, the one that's much harder to withstand ... but somehow, still irresistible. In his latest Gillespie-directed roles, Stan has gone full scumbag.
Never Mind, He's A Monster
Our first glimpse of Stan's even darker side was in "I, Tonya" where he played the former skating queen's husband, Jeff Gillooly. At first, their relationship is pretty close to charming — mostly because of how terribly Tonya is treated beforehand. The relief of her finding happiness in their budding romance makes it easy to root for them. But it doesn't take long for Gillooly to become abusive, lashing out verbally then physically. Playing this abusive lunatic gives Stan a chance to flex his best acting muscles, delivering a captivating performance. Gillooly is criminally stupid (as he spends the entire film proving) but also maintains a certain amount of charm. He has to draw both Tonya and the audience in, so he can lose us later on. And so Stan hits that sleazy-yet-endearing stride, which he repeats with his lead role in "Pam & Tommy."
This time around, Stan goes fully unhinged as Tommy Lee, an annoying a**hole who's increasingly difficult to look away from. Inhabiting the sleazeball put the actor through hours of SFX makeup preparation but the true magic erupts onscreen when he takes the metamorphosis to the next level with his manic, douchey energy. Lee is the life of the party whether he's banging on a drumset, racing around his mansion in a speedo, or downing shots at a bar. He draws Lily James' Pamela Anderson into his orbit and Stan makes it easy to understand why. He's intoxicating, and Stan doesn't shy away from a single aspect of the man, surprisingly irresistible while being an absolute dirtbag.
While it's fun to watch Stan trade snipes with Anthony Mackie or stare at Chris Evans in utterly confused rage, you haven't truly lived until you've sat back on your couch and marveled at Sebastian Stan maniacally proclaiming his love for a woman he just met to his talking, prosthetic penis. What more can I say? Some people were born to be Prince Charming but others are magic when you slather them in grease, tat them up, and demand the heights of douchebaggery.