An enigmatic actor, Andrew Garfield is best known for playing challenging and intriguing characters, for he adds emotional depth to his roles and makes them seem authentic. The actor has built a juggernaut for himself in the entertainment industry. He gained worldwide attention and shot to superstardom for his excellent portrayal of Spider-Man in Marvel Cinematic Universe films, starting with the 2012 superhero flick The Amazing Spider-Man.
There is no denying that actors work tirelessly, physically and mentally, while embodying their on-screen characters, and every star has their unique techniques and acting approach that help them in the process. The 39-year-old is no stranger when using different strategies to personify his roles flawlessly. He once revealed that people have misconceptions about method acting and defended the style by sharing his deep insights after his friend-actor Robert Pattinson made shocking comments about the process.
Andrew Garfield Claims People Have Misconceptions about What Method Acting Is
Andrew Garfield’s whimsical acting approach and how he delves deep into his characters is inspiring, to say the least, as only a few talented stars such as him attempt to perfect to achieve success. The actor once shares his deep insights into method acting style and what he has learned about it over the years. Many actors have often expressed their bitter experiences while approaching this style calling it dangerous. Nevertheless, Garfield is a fan of method acting, as he defended the style previously. In an interview, he shared:
“There [have] been a lot of misconceptions about what method acting is, I think. People are still acting in that way, and it’s not about being an a**hole to everyone on set. It’s actually just about living truthfully under imagined circumstances, and being really nice to the crew simultaneously, and being a normal human being, and being able to drop it when you need to and staying in it when you want to stay in it.”
The Spider-Man: No Way Home star further defended this acting approach by explaining,
“I’m kind of bothered by the misconception, I’m kind of bothered by this idea that ‘method acting is f–king bu–shit.’ No, I don’t think you know what method acting is if you’re calling it bu–shit, or you just worked with someone who claims to be a method actor who isn’t actually acting the method at all. It’s also very private.”
Andrew Garfield emphasized what the method is and shared his opinions on why actors complain about it. Garfield tried method acting while working in his 2016 epic historical drama Silence, in which he played the role of a Jesuit priest named Sebastião Rodrigues. The actor did extensive research and learned about the Jesuit lifestyle during his year-long preparation for his part.
Robert Pattinson Talks about the Problematic Sides of Method Acting
In 2019, Robert Pattinson made some bombshell comments about method acting. Pattinson, who has also tried and practiced this technique, claimed that he believes actors tried this approach when portraying “A**holes characters.” The Batman actor shared his opinions on why he feels method acting can drive actors crazy,
“I always say about people who do method acting, you only ever see people do the method when they’re playing an a–holes,” adding, “I need to know when you’re on stage and when you’re off stage. I need to know that between action and cut, that’s the thing. That’s the safe space. I need to know there’s a cut coming, and then I’ll feel safe. If it just feels like you can’t get out, that’s when you go crazy.”
Method acting remains a controversial and divisive technique when it comes to films and TV shows. Andrew Garfield was very forthcoming and open about his approach to method acting despite the technique being criticized by other stars like Robert Pattinson. This frank admission on the part of Garfield and Pattinson reflects their humility as an actor and genuineness as an individual.
Source: Variety
