Donald Trump probably wouldn’t dare visit Jimmy Kimmel Live! again at this point. But the host is about to sit down with a man who might just be the closest thing at the moment: Actor Sebastian Stan, who portrays Trump in the much-hyped biopic The Apprentice, will be Kimmel’s lead guest on Wednesday.
It’s no secret that Kimmel and (the real) Trump have a combative relationship. The former president is a frequent target of Kimmel’s nightly monologues, and the host even called out Trump’s social media rants in a memorable moment during this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.
Less than two months later, Kimmel managed to get even further under the politician’s skin when he was mentioned—twice—during Trump’s hush money trial.
Those experiences will undoubtedly give Kimmel and Stan something to commiserate over. While the actor seemingly hasn’t heard from Donald directly, the Trump camp has threatened legal action against The Apprentice, beginning with a cease and desist letter sent to producers back in May.
Despite one of the project’s major financial backers dropping out of the film due to its unflattering portrayal of Trump, The Apprentice is forging ahead with its release. It’s set to hit theaters on October 11, just weeks ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Stan has visited Jimmy Kimmel Live! four times before, most recently in February 2022 to promote his turn as Tommy Lee in Hulu’s Pam & Tommy. That visit resulted in the actor giving Kimmel one of the more unusual gifts in recent late-night memory: the steel balls Stan wore to get into character for the role.
The actor hasn’t said what, if any, tool he used to help him embody Trump. But perhaps he’ll bestow it on Kimmel on Wednesday night.
