Sebastian Stan "didn't think twice" about shaving his head for his new Palme d'Or-winning drama Fjord.
In the new movie, the Avengers star and Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve play parents who move their children from his native Romania to her remote Norwegian hometown and face scrutiny from the local authorities about their parenting.
Director Cristian Mungiu felt that Stan was "too good-looking" to play an average father, so the Romania-born actor shaved his head and wore glasses and fake wonky teeth.
Of his physical transformation, Stan told Deadline, "I didn't think twice about it. I think it's all about serving the story and these people, however they are. And at that point, you've got to just put yourself in the backseat."
He described the head shave as "an experiment", and recalled, "I was all about it once we nailed it. She (partner Annabelle Wallis) kept cutting it and cutting it and I was like, 'Let's keep going.'"
Mungiu added, "As the film proves, he doesn't need to be handsome to keep you glued to the screen. I can't thank him enough for this, and I believe I should thank his girlfriend as well."
Fjord marks Stan's first role in his native Romanian. While the star, who left Romania when he was eight years old, still speaks the language to his mother frequently, he was worried that his Romanian wasn't perfect anymore.
"But his acting in Romanian was impeccable, consistent, believable, precise, nuanced," the director praised. "So, Hollywood, take care, the Romanian industry might steal him from you."
The Apprentice actor was also embraced by the film's Romanian crew, an experience he called "very touching".
"These crew members came around me and said, 'Hey, you're one of us. We're so happy you're doing this movie. It means the world to us. Thank you for acknowledging the country you're from,'" Stan remembered. "It only motivated me to want to do more justice to this family and these characters."
Fjord won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month. It doesn't currently have a release date.
