Andrew Garfield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrew Garfield
Garfield in 2023
Born	Andrew Russell Garfield (1983-08-20) 20 August 1983 (age 41) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Alma mater	Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2004–present
Awards	Full list

Andrew Russell Garfield (born 20 August 1983) is a famous actor from both England and America. He became well-known around the world in 2010. This was when he played Eduardo Saverin in the movie The Social Network.

He became even more recognized for playing Spider-Man. He starred in the superhero movies The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Later, he returned as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

Andrew Garfield has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor twice. First, for his role as Desmond Doss in the war film Hacksaw Ridge (2016). Second, for playing Jonathan Larson in the musical drama Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021). He won a Golden Globe Award for Tick, Tick... Boom!. He also won a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his work in Boy A (2007).

Some of his other movies include Never Let Me Go (2010) and Silence (2016). On TV, he played a detective in the crime show Under the Banner of Heaven (2022). For this role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Andrew Garfield has also acted on stage. He made his Broadway debut in 2012 in Death of a Salesman. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for this. In 2017, he played Prior Walter in Angels in America in London. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play when he played the role again on Broadway in 2018.

Early Life and Education

Andrew Russell Garfield was born in Los Angeles, California, on 20 August 1983. His mother, Lynn, was from England, and his father, Richard, was from California. His father's parents were also from the United Kingdom.

When Andrew was three years old, his family moved from Los Angeles to the UK. He grew up in Epsom, Surrey. His family has Jewish roots on his father's side. He describes himself as a "Jewish artist." His grandparents came to London from Eastern Europe.

Andrew's parents ran a small business. His mother also worked at a nursery school, and his father coached swimming. Andrew has an older brother who is a doctor. In his younger years, Andrew enjoyed gymnastics and swimming.

He first thought about studying business. But at age 16, a friend convinced him to try theatre studies. He attended Priory Preparatory School and City of London Freemen's School. Later, he trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. His first job was at Starbucks.

Becoming an Actor

Andrew Garfield started acting classes in Guildford, Surrey, when he was nine. He appeared in a youth theatre play called Bugsy Malone. He also joined a small youth theatre group in Epsom. After high school, he studied acting for three more years at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

After graduating in 2004, he mainly worked in stage acting. In 2004, he won an award for Best Newcomer for his role in Kes. He also played Romeo in another play. In 2006, he won another award for Outstanding Newcomer.

His first British TV appearance was in 2005 in the show Sugar Rush. In 2007, he became more widely known. He appeared in two episodes of the BBC's Doctor Who: "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks". He said it was "an honour" to be part of Doctor Who.

In October 2007, Variety magazine named him one of their "10 Actors to Watch." He made his first American film appearance in November 2007. This was in Lions for Lambs, with stars like Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep.

In the Channel 4 drama Boy A (2007), he played a young man trying to start a new life after prison. This role earned him the 2008 BAFTA Award for Best Actor. Critics praised his sensitive and detailed performance. In 2008, he had a small role in The Other Boleyn Girl.

In 2009, Andrew Garfield had supporting roles in the film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. He also appeared in the TV series Red Riding.

Andrew Garfield at the premiere of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in 2009.

Breakthrough Roles

In 2010, Andrew Garfield starred in the science-fiction drama Never Let Me Go. He played Tommy D., a sensitive young man caught in a love triangle. He was drawn to the film because it asked big questions about life. He said the experience was "a dream come true." For this role, he won the 2010 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. Critics praised his performance, calling him "the real find" of the movie.

The same year, he co-starred in The Social Network, a drama about the founders of Facebook. He played Eduardo Saverin. The director, David Fincher, felt Andrew's emotional depth was perfect for this role. Andrew's performance was highly praised. He earned many nominations, including for a Golden Globe. Critics called his performance "shatteringly good" and "the soul of a film."

Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake at an event for The Social Network in 2010.

Becoming Spider-Man and Beyond

Andrew Garfield was chosen to play Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). This was a new start for the Spider-Man film series. He saw playing Spider-Man as a "massive challenge." He wanted to make the character feel real and new. To prepare, he studied how athletes and spiders move. He also practiced yoga and pilates.

The movie was a big success worldwide. Andrew's performance was well-liked. One critic called his portrayal the "definitive Spider-Man."

Andrew Garfield at San Diego Comic-Con International in 2011.

In March 2012, Andrew made his first appearance on Broadway in Death of a Salesman. He played Biff Loman. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. In 2014, he hosted Saturday Night Live. He also appeared in a music video for the band Arcade Fire.

Also in 2014, he starred in and helped produce the drama 99 Homes. He also played Spider-Man again in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Later, the Spider-Man character joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This meant new Spider-Man movies with Andrew were cancelled. Another actor, Tom Holland, took over the role. Scientists even named a new species of spider, Pritha garfieldi, after him!

After a break, Andrew Garfield starred in two films in 2016. These were Martin Scorsese's drama Silence and Mel Gibson's war film Hacksaw Ridge. In Silence, he played a Portuguese priest in the 1600s. He spent a year learning about Jesuit priests for the role. He also lost weight for the part.

Hacksaw Ridge was a big success. In this movie, Andrew played Desmond Doss. Doss was a combat medic in World War II who refused to carry a weapon. He was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. Critics praised Andrew for bringing depth to the role. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for Hacksaw Ridge.

Recent Work and Achievements

In 2017, Andrew Garfield played Prior Walter in the play Angels in America in London. His performance was highly praised. One critic said he was "transformative and unrecognisable." He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.

His only movie in 2017 was Breathe. He played Robin Cavendish, a young man paralyzed by polio. He met with people who had polio and worked with Cavendish's family to prepare for the role.

Andrew Garfield promoting Breathe in 2017.

In 2018, the Angels in America play moved to Broadway. Andrew played Prior Walter again. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for this performance.

His next film was Under the Silver Lake, released in 2018. He played Sam, a young man looking for his missing neighbor. Critics found him "great in the role." Andrew also starred in the drama Mainstream (2020).

Andrew Garfield in 2024.

In 2021, Andrew Garfield starred in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. He played Jim Bakker, a televangelist. That same year, he played composer Jonathan Larson in the film Tick, Tick... Boom!. Andrew had never sung professionally before. He took vocal training for the role. The film was released on Netflix. For his performance, he won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Also in 2021, Andrew Garfield surprised many by returning as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He starred alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire, who also played Spider-Man. Andrew said working on the film was "joyful" and gave him "closure" with his character. He also said he would be open to playing Spider-Man again in the future.

In 2022, Time magazine included Andrew Garfield on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also starred in the miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven that year. He played a detective. His performance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

After a short break, Andrew Garfield starred with Florence Pugh in the romance film We Live in Time (2024). He will next star with Julia Roberts in the thriller After the Hunt. He will also appear in The Magic Faraway Tree, a family film based on a book series.

Personal Life and Interests

Andrew Garfield has dual citizenship in the United States and the United Kingdom. He has said he feels "equally at home" in both countries. He identifies as Jewish. He lives in North London, England, which he considers home because his family and friends are there. He is also a fan of basketball.

Andrew Garfield usually talks about his work in interviews. He prefers to keep details of his private life to himself.

His mother, Lynn, passed away from pancreatic cancer while he was filming The Eyes of Tammy Faye. This was just before he started working on Tick, Tick... Boom!. He was able to be with her. In 2021, he spoke about his grief on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also discussed it in 2024 on CNN and even on Sesame Street with Elmo.

In 2011, Andrew Garfield became an ambassador for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation. This organization helps children around the world. In October 2023, he signed an open letter to President Joe Biden. The letter called for a ceasefire in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. He has also spoken out in support of Palestinians. Andrew Garfield has often shared his thoughts on the capitalist system and consumerism.

Acting Roles

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	Mumbo Jumbo	Simmo	Short film
2007	Boy A	Jack Burridge
	Lions for Lambs	Todd Hayes
2008	Other Boleyn Girl, TheThe Other Boleyn Girl	Francis Weston	Scenes cut; credit only
2009	Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, TheThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus	Anton
	Air	Tom	Short film
2010	I'm Here	Sheldon	Short film
	Never Let Me Go	Tommy D
	Social Network, TheThe Social Network	Eduardo Saverin
2012	Amazing Spider-Man, TheThe Amazing Spider-Man	Peter Parker / Spider-Man
2014	Amazing Spider-Man 2, TheThe Amazing Spider-Man 2
	99 Homes	Dennis Nash
2016	Hacksaw Ridge	Desmond Doss
	Silence	Rodrigues
2017	Breathe	Robin Cavendish
2018	Under the Silver Lake	Sam
2020	Mainstream	Link	Also producer
2021	The Eyes of Tammy Faye	Jim Bakker
	Tick, Tick... Boom!	Jonathan Larson
	Spider-Man: No Way Home	Peter Parker / Spider-Man
2024	We Live in Time	Tobias
TBA	After the Hunt	Henrik	Post-production
	The Magic Faraway Tree	Tim	Filming

TV Shows

On Stage

Music Appearances

Andrew Garfield sang in the movie Tick, Tick... Boom!. Here are the songs he appeared in:

Awards

Andrew Garfield has won many awards and received nominations for his acting. You can find a full list here:

See Also

In Spanish: Andrew Garfield para niños

• Pritha garfieldi, a spider named after Garfield