Before he was the Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan was a snow bunny trying to make ends meet. The Oscar nominee recalled how royalties his appearance in 2010’s Hot Tub Time Machine helped him survive before he landed his role as the MCU‘s James ‘Bucky’ Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

A 2010 raunchy movie helped save Marvel actor Sebastian Stan during one of the lowest points of his career. Stan has become a household name after playing Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But Stan is no sellout — he’s simultaneously sowing his creative oats. Stan played rocker Tommy Lee in Pam & Tommy, a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice and led A24’s A Different Man. His talent — and his risks — have been recognized for each of those roles.