Sebastian Stan

Sebastian Stan was best known for playing Prince Jack Benjamin on the television drama Kings and Carter Baizen on the book based television series gossip Girl. He was born in the Romanian City of Constanta. At age 8, he and his mother moved to Vienna, Austria where she was employed as a pianist. Four years later (age 12), his mother moved with him to Rockland County, New York after she married the headmaster of an American private school. During his years at the Rockland Country Day School, he starred in productions like Harvey, Cyrano de Bergerac, Little Shop of Horrors, Over Here, and West Side Story. He also attended the Stagedoor Manor summer camp where he was introduced to acting and was cast in many camp productions. It was then that he decided to take acting seriously and began to apply for acting programs at several universities. He was accepted to and attended Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts. This gave him the opportunity to spend a year abroad studying acting at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, England. http://sebastianstan.com/

The Romanian-born actor graduated from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts. He got a role on Law & Order while at school, and later on went to work in several movies. His role as the antagonist on the cult hit The Covenant put him on Hollywood's radar for hot young talent. Despite all the fanfare because of his looks, his talent is what ultimately will have audiences notice him. Sebastian's work is more than just about looking great on-screen. His work ranges from theater to live readings to the big screen, taking on a variety of characters. If Sebastian's ability to play a diverse set of roles isn't enough to convince people of his talent, I think the fact that these roles were intense and complex will win both audiences and critics over. It's a shame that not many people have recognized his talent, particularly when he plays the edgy, troubled individual in a show/movie. Like in Kings, Sebastian pulls off every layer and angle of Prince Jack. His portrayal of Prince Jack Benjamin was haunting, in a way. And despite the fact that he's scheming and ruining lives, you can't help but be drawn to Prince Jack. That is Stan's doing, showing you a character's different, deeper dimensions without making it overly dramatic. He makes it look cool in a James Dean kind of anguish so that you can't help but be absorbed by the character. And if you want well-rounded, well Stan can also pull off a bit of comedy and tons of wit, playing eccentric roles like Leo in The Education of Charlie Banks and Harry in Spread. Sebastian demonstrates a depth and diversity that, for his young age, is beyond impressive. Comparisons to Hollywood icons like Paul Newman and James Dean have followed him for a while. Hopefully we'll get to see more of his acting skills, especially in well-written roles that'll keep reminding us of how alike he is to these movie stars. With talent and an aura reminiscent of old school greats, I wouldn't be surprised if Sebastian soon takes Tinseltown by storm.

I don't see why his rating is so low, especially due to the fact he plays one of the most complex characters in the series. He may not be on the same tier as Ian McShane, but he is without a doubt just as good as Allison Miller and Christopher Egan in playing his character. Beyond the King and Queen he plays the only, thus far, character with several dimensions. But I do believe his ratings have to do with the fact many people might not like his character due to his extreme inner-turmoil, not the actor. However I believe it will go up over time just as, I believe his character will become more liked by the viewers over time as we get to better understand him.