Andrew Garfield is known for his role as The Amazing Spider-Man, one of the only Spider-Man movies with only two movies, not three, like his Spidey multiverse variants Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire. Recently, Garfield shared how he “figured out a way of doing the screen test” for the 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man movie that apparently won him the role. A lot of Spider-Man fans had problems with Garfield’s version of Spider-Man, but also some fans found him more relatable and saw the passion in his acting.
How Andrew Garfield Got the Spider-Man Role
In 2021, we saw both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, bringing them to stand alongside Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. During a recent Marvel interview, Garfield talked about his auditions for The Amazing Spider-Man, saying that he “didn’t really think much of it in terms of I would get it or not.”
“When I got the chance to audition, I thought, ‘how cool would it be to fulfill some weird version of a childhood dream?’ So, of course, I auditioned and didn’t really think much of it in terms of I would get it or not.”
Andrew Garfield was then asked to do a screen test which had been wondering if he wanted the responsibility that came with playing Spider-Man, which is a big legacy to carry on one’s shoulders. “They asked me to do a screen test, and I suddenly thought, “this could happen. This could be a thing that will change my life. ‘Obviously, that created a conflict in the sense of, ‘do I want to be that recognizable? Do I want to take on this responsibility?’ But then, of course, I did want to. So I decided to screen test and throw my hat in the ring.”
After Garfield concluded that he did really want this role, he figured out how to focus on the joy of being the character. “I was really nervous at that point, because I was like, “I really would like to do this!” And when you want to do something and may not get to do it, everything suddenly becomes very intense. You have to just take big risks and leave it to the gods. Because I was so nervous and wanted it so much, I figured out a way of doing the screen test. I gave myself an acting adjustment, I suppose, which was: you’re a 15-year-old and you’re making a Spider-Man short film with mates. All the crew are friends. There’s no pressure. You get to make it up as you go along, and it’s about the joy of being this character.”