Honestly, most people think of Bucky Barnes the second they hear the name Sebastian Stan. It makes sense. He’s been the Winter Soldier for over a decade, and that metallic arm is basically part of his DNA at this point. But if you really want to see what the guy can do—like, really see the range that led to him winning a Silver Bear and a Golden Globe—you have to look at his television work.
Sebastian Stan TV shows have always been this weird, experimental playground for him. He doesn’t just pick "safe" leading man roles. He picks characters that are kinda broken, definitely messy, and sometimes flat-out unhinged.
From a spoiled prince in a literal biblical reimagining to a rockstar talking to his own anatomy, Stan's small-screen career is way more chaotic and interesting than his blockbuster filmography suggests.
The Early Days: Gossip Girl and the Cult of Carter Baizen
Before the MCU fame, Stan was a recurring face on The CW. He played Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2010. He wasn’t a series regular, but he didn’t need to be. Carter was the ultimate "bad influence." He was the guy who showed up, ruined Chuck Bass’s week, charmed Serena, and then vanished.
It’s funny looking back now because you can see the seeds of his later intensity. Even in a soapy teen drama, he had this heavy, soulful look that made you think there was a lot more going on behind the eyes. He only appeared in 11 episodes, but the fanbase's obsession with Carter Baizen still lives on in the deep corners of Tumblr and TikTok.
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Then there was Kings in 2009. If you haven't seen this, you're missing out on one of the most ambitious "one-season wonders" in TV history. It was a modern-day retelling of the story of King David. Stan played Jack Benjamin, the closeted, self-destructive heir to the throne. It was tragic, bold, and way ahead of its time for network TV. It’s probably the first time critics really stopped and said, "Oh, this kid has serious chops."
Finding the Heart of Bucky in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
We have to talk about the Marvel of it all. While the movies used Bucky as a plot device or a silent assassin, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) finally gave Stan the space to breathe.
TV is a writer's medium. In a two-hour movie, Bucky is lucky to get ten lines of dialogue. In a six-episode series, we actually got to see the trauma. We saw him in therapy. We saw him trying to apologize to the people he hurt while he was brainwashed.
Stan plays Bucky with this constant, low-level vibration of anxiety. He’s a 100-year-old man who doesn't know how to exist in the 21st century. The chemistry with Anthony Mackie is the selling point, sure, but the quiet moments of Bucky just trying to eat a date in a park or fix a boat in Louisiana? That’s where the performance lives.
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The Transformation: Pam & Tommy and Beyond
If you want to talk about a total "chameleon" moment, it’s Pam & Tommy (2022). Stan played Tommy Lee, and the transformation was genuinely jarring. He lost a ton of weight, spent hours in the makeup chair for the tattoos, and learned to play the drums with that frantic, kinetic energy Lee is known for.
Basically, he disappeared.
It wasn't just about the look, though. He captured that specific 90s rockstar arrogance—the kind that is equal parts charismatic and exhausting. The show was controversial, especially since Pamela Anderson didn't endorse it, but Stan’s performance was undeniable. He earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for a reason. He managed to make a guy who is often a caricature feel like a real, albeit very loud, human being.
A Quick Look at the Deep Cuts
- Political Animals (2012): He played T.J. Hammond, the troubled son of a former First Lady (Sigourney Weaver). This role is arguably his best "underrated" work. It’s raw, painful, and earns him a lot of credit in the serious-actor department.
- Once Upon a Time (2012): He was Jefferson, aka the Mad Hatter. He only did six episodes, but he brought a frantic, gothic energy to the show that it sorely missed after he left for Marvel.
- Labyrinth (2012): A miniseries where he played Will Franklyn. It's a bit of a historical fantasy romp, but worth a watch if you're a completist.
- What If...? (2021-2024): Voice work as Bucky. It’s fun to hear him play different, often lighter versions of the character.
Why Sebastian Stan TV Shows Matter Right Now
As we head into 2026, Stan is moving back toward massive films like Avengers: Doomsday and his role as Harvey Dent in The Batman Part II. But his TV background is why those movie roles work. He’s spent years doing the "character study" work on the small screen.
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When he plays a villain or a hero in a $200 million movie, he’s bringing the weight of Jack Benjamin or T.J. Hammond with him. He knows how to find the cracks in a character. He knows how to make you care about someone who is objectively doing a terrible job at being a person.
How to Watch the Best of Stan
If you’re looking to dive in, don’t just start with the MCU stuff. Start with Political Animals to see his dramatic depth, then jump to Pam & Tommy for the physical transformation. Save Kings for when you want something truly unique that deserved five seasons instead of one.
The reality is that Sebastian Stan is one of the few actors who treat TV with the same reverence as film. He doesn't "dial it in" for the small screen. He uses it to get weird, and that's exactly why he’s one of the most interesting actors working today.
Keep an eye on his upcoming projects, because if history tells us anything, his next TV pivot will probably be the one that everyone is talking about at the next awards circuit. He's a leading man who still acts like a character actor, and that is a rare thing to find.
To get the full experience of Stan’s range, check out Political Animals on various VOD platforms or catch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+. For his more transformative work, Pam & Tommy remains a must-see on Hulu. Looking ahead, his return to the big screen in the DC and Marvel universes will likely be informed by the nuanced character work he’s perfected on television over the last twenty years.