Sebastian Stan names the three directors he’s desperate to work with: “They’re just so amazing”

Posted On August 14, 2025August 14, 2025

Many Hollywood actors secretly pine after one director or project that will complete their careers, yearning for the ultimate film that will top their resumes and take their careers to a new realm. 

Margot Robbie famously wrote a letter to Quentin Tarantino expressing her desire to collaborate with him, while others simply stumbled across one of their icons at an industry brunch and found themselves in their next project. In a business where everybody is seemingly connected, it doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch to assume that your wildest collaborative dreams are not possible, with countless opportunities to turn ideas into a tangible story on the silver screen. 

While his career bucket list might be similar to everyone else in Hollywood, the same sentiment certainly applies to Sebastian Stan, who shared the directors he is most keen to work with. Stan has never been shy about publicly professing his desire to work with certain people and manifest opportunities that he hopes will come his way. With an ever-expanding body of work, working with everyone from Ali Abbasi, Darren Aronofsky, Steven Soderbergh and Jonathan Demme, the actor has recently made a strong pivot towards arthouse filmmaking after a decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

After receiving an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Apprentice, as well as critical acclaim for his role in A Different Man, it seems as though his career is moving into a new territory and will perhaps put a whole new number of directors on his radar after expressing interest in working with three in particular.

There are some filmmakers who are so ingrained in Hollywood royalty that they seemingly rule the business, with so many projects and platforms championing their voices that no idea is too outlandish to bring to life. Their influence is timeless, cementing themselves in cinematic history and making them obvious choices for any actor to want to work with.

The directors that can be included in this category are hardly surprising, with Stan expressing his desire to work with the biggest in the business, revealing, “Quentin Tarantino. Quentin Tarantino and David O Russell. They’re just so amazing. Martin Scorsese [too].” These choices are hardly niche and make perfect sense given that many would love the chance to stretch their wings under the direction of those who are considered to have the strongest creative voices.

However, they are all somewhat obvious and predictable choices, and greatness doesn’t have to be proven by working with mainstream directors who are familiar to most audiences. Many actors have expanded their filmography and gained critical attention for working with emerging or lesser-known directors, and are almost more respected for doing so, adding a different edge to their oeuvre. 

The likes of Harris Dickinson, Ayo Edebiri and Saoirse Ronan are considered greats of their generation, and all without touching any of the predictable figures who rule the industry. Instead, they have forged creative identities by taking risks and working with fascinating new directors who have something very different to say than those at the very top.  

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