Sebastian Stan Says Playing a Man with a Facial Disfigurement Alongside Adam Pearson 'Was All About Trust' (Exclusive)

Sebastian Stan costars with Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve in 'A Different Man,' in theaters now

Sebastian Stan is opening up about portraying a man with neurofibromatosis alongside British actor Adam Pearson, who lives with the rare genetic condition, in their new movie.

In an interview with PEOPLE surrounding their A24 drama A Different Man, Stan, 42, says Pearson's life experience proved "incredible" in developing his character Edward, an aspiring actor who undergoes facial reconstruction surgery and subsequently grows obsessed with Oswald (Pearson), another man with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

"I was kind of gathering different pieces from different places. And a lot of Adam's experience that he shared with me was really helpful in that regard," Stan says of Pearson, who was diagnosed with the neurogenetic disorder that leaves his skin covered in thousands of thick, painful tumors, at age 5. "It's very easy to work with Adam and I feel like we got along very quickly. I think with [filmmaker Aaron Schimberg] it was all just about trust and making sure that we were all on the same page. And once you have that, it's just off and running, you know?"

Pearson, who previously appeared in director Schimberg's 2019 movie Chained for Life and the 2013 film Under the Skin, tells PEOPLE he and Stan "had really frank, honest conversations" about their upbringings and life experiences over Zoom before production started in 2022.

Related: 'A Different Man' Star Adam Pearson Says His Facial Disfigurement 'Opened Doors' (Exclusive)

"Disfigurement and disability is unique in terms of you don't get it until you get it. So I have to find parallels to help so I can get [someone's] hooks into this and sort of process it differently," he says. "And I always say that the two ways to lose your social anonymity in a society in 2024 are to either have some kind of disagreement or disability or to become a celebrity."

"And so while [Stan] might not know the level of invasiveness, I feel with kind of pointing, stares and camera phones, he absolutely gets it from the other angle," Pearson adds.

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Though Pearson has a handful of acting credits to his name, A Different Man makes for a larger role — and a higher-profile release — than his past films. The actor tells PEOPLE he has "been putting off [the movie's release] in my mind for quite a while" prior to its press tour.

"I sat down on the plane on Sunday and just thought, 'Oh no, this is happening. It's happening now,' " he says. "And my family as a whole are a bit not fussed about it, which is good 'cause it kind of keeps me humble and keeps me in check at home."

Related: Sebastian Stan Is Totally Unrecognizable via Prosthetic Transformation in A Different Man Trailer

"I'm gonna enjoy this while it's happening. If this is the end, I've gone out on a high," he says, when asked where his acting career may take him next. "I've made some great friends. I'm going to be friends with [Stan] for the rest of my life, if he's willing."

"We'll see what happens, but yeah — Kevin Feige, call me," Pearson adds, jokingly referencing the Marvel Studios executive and Stan's role as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A Different Man is in theaters now.

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