Andrew Garfield ‘Wasn’t Ready’ For ‘Spider-Man’ Fame
Andrew Garfield has been extremely busy in the past year. The actor worked on The Eyes of Tammy Faye and then earned his second Oscar nomination for his work on Tick, Tick … Boom! In 2022, the actor returned to television with his latest project, Under the Banner of Heaven. And who could forget the surprise appearance that the talented actor made in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Though Garfield has an impressive resume, Peter Parker remains one of his most well-known roles. The actor portrayed the superhero in the 2012 film, The Amazing Spider-Man. Two years later, he reprised his role in the film’s sequel. The films made Garfield a household name, and he experienced a very intense fandom. However, the actor admits that he actually wasn’t equipped to handle the level of fame he was experiencing at the time.
Andrew Garfield wasn’t ready for the fame that came with ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’
Recently, Garfield had a conversation (hosted by Variety) with Zendaya, whom he worked with in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While speaking candidly, The Social Network alum explained how the fame he experienced a decade ago affected him at the time.
“You have to deal with a lot of people having an idea of who you are without actually knowing who you are,” Garfield shared with the Euphoria star. “When I did my first Spider-Man film, I was your age — 25, 26. And I wasn’t ready, man. I was like, I need to back off, because I don’t know who I am yet. And my prefrontal cortex is still forming.”
The Oscar nominee gets candid about being in the spotlight
Continuing on, Garfield drew a comparison to how the public can place their expectations (however unreasonable) on celebrities, athletes, and public figures. “It’s the same thing with Simone Biles, with people going, ‘How dare you not vault?'” he shared. “This is a good indication of how much we project onto people who are in the public eye.”
Over time, Garfield has learned to navigate his career and make the decisions that serve him best. A surfer, he made the analogy of knowing what waves belong to him. He also explained that he’s gotten to a place in his career where he can be more selective about what he chooses to work on.
“I think both you and I have gotten to a very privileged position where we get to decide, and we get to have agency and choose,” Garfield shared with Zendaya. “And I find it important for myself to go, ‘What am I called to?'” So what is Garfield called to presently? According to the Never Let Me Go star, he needs some time to really recuperate.
Garfield is set to take a break from acting
“I’m going to rest for a little bit,” Garfield revealed in a separate interview with Variety. “I need to recalibrate and reconsider what I want to do next and who I want to be and just be a bit of a person for awhile. Because as you know, that is a washing machine, that awards season. I need to just be a bit ordinary for a while.”
