In one of the top nights for global cinema, Romanian actor Sebastian Stan took the stage at the 2025 Golden Globes to accept the award for Best Actor in a Drama Film.
He was awarded for his outstanding performance in “A Different Man,” a moving story about a neurotic actor grappling with the disfigurements caused by neurofibromatosis. His portrayal won plaudits from critics and audiences, marking the top achievement of his career.
In his acceptance speech, the actor thanked his team and the film’s cast, as well as his parents, and concluded his speech by saying in Romanian, “Romania, I love you.”
The actor, born in the Black Sea port of Constanta, was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in “The Apprentice,” where he plays Donald Trump. In his acceptance speech for the award for best male performance in a comedy or musical, he addressed ignorance regarding people with disabilities.
“Our ignorance and discomfort with disability and disfigurement has to stop now. We have to normalize these situations and continue to expose ourselves and our children to these situations and encourage acceptance, and one way we can do that is by continuing to present stories that are inclusive. This was not an easy film to make, nor was “The Apprentice,” the other film I was lucky enough to be a part of and I’m proud of. These are tough subjects, but these films are real and they’re necessary, and we can’t be afraid and we can’t look away,” said Sebastian Stan.
The 42-year-old actor thanked the people on his team, his publicist, and also his manager, with whom he has worked for 27 years, Emily Gerson Saines. She took him under her wing when he was just a child and advised him to go to school and watch movies.
“I’m here on stage because of you,” said Stan.
The actor left Romania at eight for Vienna and moved to the U.S. when he was just 12 years old, with his mother.
“This award is for my mother, who left Romania in search of a better life and who gave me everything, and for my stepfather, Tony, who accepted a single mother with a grown child. Thank you for being a true man,” said the recent Golden Globe winner. Sebastian Stan ended his speech by saying “Romania, I love you.”
Sebastian Stan was born in Constanța, in 1982, and having lived in Austria, emigrated to the United States with his mother, a concert pianist, after his parents divorced.
In 2022, he became famous for his role as former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee in the mini-series “Pam & Tommy” dedicated to the rocker’s troubled marriage with Pamela Anderson. The role earned him nominations for the Emmy Awards, the American Film Critics Awards and the Golden Globes. His most recent roles include those in the films “The Devil All the Time” and “Dumb Money”.
In February 2024, Stan was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival for his performance in the feature film “A Different Man.” “For a little boy from Romania, this means a lot, so thank you,” Sebastian Stan said on stage at the Berlinale last year.
