Actor Sebastian Stan criticised the spread of online negativity while promoting his new film Fjord at the Toronto International Film Festival, arguing that such attitudes are becoming normalised and are encouraged by leadership "at the top." Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he said much of this negativity manifests as lazy, judgemental reactions rather than genuine engagement, with people rarely offering counterarguments or solutions, and urged people, especially young people, to be curious and form their own opinions rather than following the crowd.

Stan, who previously portrayed Donald Trump in The Apprentice, stopped short of naming names but implied the tone is set by figures in power. He also discussed Fjord, a Cristian Mungiu-directed drama in which he plays a conservative father whose religious Romanian family faces scrutiny after relocating to a progressive Norwegian village; the film, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, is released in cinemas on 9 October. Stan connected the film's themes to his own recent experience of becoming a father for the first time, reflecting on the challenges of raising children amid conflicting cultural and generational values.