Andrew Garfield: Career Study

An underappreciated actor who brought his charm and emotional sensitivities into the world of the superhero blockbuster, yet defined himself as being so much more

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (CREDIT: Sony/Marvel)

 by Jack Linsdell

Andrew Garfield is mostly known, and recognised, around the world for playing the infamous Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sony and Marvel's The Amazing Spider-Man and it's sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2. And, that's all well deserved as Spider-Man is most certainly his career defining role, and one of his best performances. However, Garfield's acting sensitivities and talents lie beyond the two superhero blockbuster flicks. He's shown that, no matter how big or small the movie, or whether he be playing a "real life/living" character or one straight from a fiction book, his charismatic, energetic and emotional versatile approach to performance has allowed Garfield to bring an array of characters to vividly to life. So, without further ado...strap in folks as we chart his career.

Despite taking acting classes since the age of 9, Garfield originally intended to go into business until acting kind of landed accidentally onto his plate. After the A-Level Theatre studies course running at his college was one place short, Garfield was convinced by a friend to take it up. After completing the course, he studied a further 3 years at the UK conservatoire at the Central School of Speech and Drama. From here onwards, Garfield went onto the theatre circuit, stage acting becoming his hobby and career at the same time. Now, maybe, this root on the stage is why Garfield has acquired the level of performance skill and judgement he has. He certainly can pull the dramatic weight of an emotional scene, whilst still bringing his trademark charisma to any given character at the same time, certainly something a career onstage gives you. Unlike many, especially those who've gone into blockbuster movies, Garfield has the dramatic sensibilities that quite frankly (all due respect) many and Marvel and DC leading actor fails to have. Say what you will about those a-list actors, but really they've nothing on Garfield and that's probably down to his roots in the theatre. Despite (obviously) having a natural knack for performance, Garfield's career has perhaps become so notable for solid performance after solid performance due to the skills he picked up on the stage in front of a live crowd, night after night. That kind of experience is invaluable.

His transition to the screen came by a small part in two episodes of Doctor Who in 2003, and then his feature-film debut in the American drama alongside Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford called Lions for Lambs. Being alongside such acting heavyweights can't of done much harm for a headstrong, young actor like Garfield at this time and I'm sure he spent a lot of this time watching from the wings and learning. After that, success and recognition started to grow as Garfield earned a BAFTA TV award for Best Actor for his role as a serial killer in the Channel 4 series Boy A. Continuing to grow, Garfield gained supporting roles in The Other Boleyn Girl and alongside Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley in the sci-fi drama Never Let Me Go, continuing to gain credibility for his acting talents from the film festival circuits (particularly in Berlin) and Hollywood itself.

This led to perhaps his career breakthrough role in 2010, playing Saverin alongside Jessie Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin's acclaimed movie The Social Network plotting the formation of one of the biggest social media companies, Facebook. Garfield was considered by Fincher to play the lead role of Zuckerberg, however he found Garfield's "incredible emotional access to his kind of humanity" to be better suited to the role of Saverin instead, If you think not landing the lead role in a movie that went on to win 3 of the 8 Oscars it was nominated for was a disappointing result for Garfield, then you'd be wrong. Very wrong. In fact, Garfield's performance as Saverin is widely regarded by many critics as being one of the best things about The Social Network, and he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at both the Golden Globes and the BAFTA's too. Quite frankly, The Social Network gave Garfield the critical, awards and public recognition his incredible career would quite frankly deserve, and to achieve this before some of his best performances just shows his talent. But, either way, this movie brought Garfield from theatre performer, to supporting actor to established and critically celebrated actor on the mainstage at Hollywood. And, who would coming swinging in next? That's right...

In 2012, we saw Sony reboot their Spider-Man franchise, after Sam Raimi's proposed Spider-Man 4 fell through and they looked for a new star to step into the costume after Tobey Maguire. Yes, I probably like The Amazing Spider-Man more than you, to the extent that it's definitely tied with Wonder Woman as my favourite superhero film. The film itself is not only done service by a talented filmmaker (Marc Webb) and as best of a script for a big budget flick you'll ever see, but it's focus on character over action and emotion over violence (coupled with James Horner's amazing score) help make it an emotionally-fulfilling character study first, superhero-action flick second. Added to that when you have supporting performances from such acting royalty (Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Emma Stone, Denis Leary, Rhys Ifans etc.) the film can only be good. I don't know why this gets a cold reception, perhaps because it's the middle iteration of Spider-Man between two (more popular) depictions under Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland. Yet, Garfield's Spider-Man is so much more charming, grounded, relatable and believable as a confused teenager turned superhero than the other two (all due respect), and again shows why he's as good as he is.

After Spider-Man entered Garfield's life, it's safe to say if you didn't know about him before, you certainly did now. Quite whether this new found fame is a curse (as your then typecast) or a blessing (new fans and bigger/more opportunities) is something only he really knows. But, one thing that's very clear is that he chooses his roles (and films) very carefully, only picking the best projects and actually producing very few movies each year. So, when your debut superhero flick earns $757 million worldwide of course your getting a sequel. And, one which was done with a quick turn-around too. So, cue 2014 when we got the originally titled The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Yes, it's a much weaker film, losing the heart, grounding and charm of the original. However, unlike what most people say about it (even worse things than the first one) this one still nails it's two leading characters (Peter and Gwen) providing poignant emotional, character-drama and some thrilling action beats. Let's not forget Paul Giamatti too. And, even when the script or film is letting the side down, Garfield remains as consistent as ever. The fact is, it's a mighty shame The Amazing Spider-Man 3 didn't happen, although maybe it would never have been as good as the original, but only because Garfield fully deserved more material and more films (and money) because he WAS Spider-Man.

So, (apparently) fired by Sony from playing one of the world's most loved superhero characters, Garfield was cast aside to watch as Tom Holland took over and Spider-Man entered the MCU (then left again as of two weeks ago). But, Garfield recovered and recovered well. Cue, Mel Gibson's outstanding Hacksaw Ridge in which he plays a true life soldier who refused to go into war with a gun and came out saving half his battalions lives. Yes, he deserved his nominations for the role, because my god he's good. It's all in the eyes, watch his eyes. Throughout the film the amount of emotion he conveys in the tiniest of movements is utterly fantastic. That same year we have Silence for Martin Scorsese and a leading role alongside Claire Foy in Breathe. So, his post superhero days have brought us three outstanding based-on-a-true-story character dramas, all in which Garfield shines the brightest he has done in his whole career.

Garfield's career is something we can all learn something from. Firstly, that the best actors truly do come from a background onstage, and only very rarely can exceptional talent (Chloe Grace Moretz) in the acting field learn on the job instead. His career was made and defined by playing Spider-Man, to which he deserves much more praise and recognition (not just publicity) for helping ground a superhero character into someone we care deeply about. But, Garfield, despite artistic and commercial disappointments, has proven time and time again that he is a consistently top quality actor, who brings his charm and emotional sensibilities from his personality and stage background to bringing alive some of the best characters to have ever existed in film. If you've never seen his other work beyond those Spidey flicks, do so now.