Sebastian Stan says he loves choosing roles that freak him out

Sebastian Stan is most famous for playing Bucky Barnes in the MCU, with his portrayal of the formerly brainwashed metal-armed super soldier earning him a passionate fanbase around the world. But this success hasn’t caused Stan to rest on his laurels.

He’s impressed in Logan Lucky, I, Tonya, and Monday and is currently killing it on the excellent Hulu series Pam & Tommy in his energetic and eccentric performance as Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. Now, in a new interview with IndieWire, Stan explained that if he finds himself worried about what would happen if he played a role, he takes it:

“More and more as I’ve gotten older, when I read something that really kind of freaks me out a little bit and I get the voice that’s like, ‘Don’t ever go near this,’ then I’m more drawn to it as a result. I find usually that fear is a good indicator of something that I have to sort of step into perhaps to understand better.”

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He went on to reveal that stardom hasn’t resulted in an uptick in confidence and security about his profession, saying:

“I feel like I’m just as anxious now about what do I do next as I was a few years ago. I don’t know if that’s ever going to change, and I don’t know if I’m ever going to want it to change. I hate comfort. I don’t like to feel comfortable, work-wise. I feel it’s easy to get comfortable. I think it’s easy to get sort of trapped as an actor and to just do things.”

Pam & Tommy has been a fine showcase of Stan’s talents, with his completely committed performance as Lee managing to make the guy simultaneously obnoxious, threatening, and strangely sympathetic. Beyond all that, there’s also a scene where Stan’s Lee has a conversation with his own dick (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas), a scene that most actors might balk at.

We should also expect to see Stan returning as Bucky soon. While there’s no confirmation of a second season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it seems like a no-brainer for Bucky to appear in Captain America 4, as well as likely also playing a role in the upcoming second season of What If…? More on all those as we hear it.

New episodes of Pam & Tommy air on Hulu on Wednesdays, with the show’s finale coming on March 9.