Spider-Man: No Way Home's Andrew Garfield has shared how he "figured out a way of doing the screen test" for 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man which won him the role.
While fans and critics alike had issues with The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, few, if any, were related to Garfield and his performance.
In 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home not only revived Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man roles but brought them alongside Tom Holland's web-slinger in the MCU blockbuster.
The Multiversal threequel also sparked a sort of Andrew Garfield Spider-Man revival; and now, the actor has revealed how he originally landed the web-head role, to begin with.
How Andrew Garfield Won the Amazing Spider-Man Role
In a recent interview with Marvel, Andrew Garfield spoke on his initial auditions for The Amazing Spider-Man, confessing that he "didn't really think much of it in terms of [if] I would get it or not:"
"When I got a 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 [if] I would get it or not."
But that all changed when Garfield was asked "to do a screen test," leading him to question whether he wanted the responsibility that comes with playing Spidey:
"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 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."
Once the actor realized how badly he wanted the role, he "figured out a way of doing the screen test" in order to focus on "the joy of being this 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, then suddenly everything 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."
According to Garfield, this "acting adjustment" was a way "to trick [his] ego" and to "show up fully and be really present:"
"I was able to trick my ego to be occupied in a corner. I convinced the part of me that puts pressure on myself that it wasn’t needed and that we were just gonna go and have a laugh. I think that meant I was able to show up fully and be really present and have a good time. I worked hard at it, but then it was just about throwing it away and seeing what happened."
Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker Problem-Solving
If Andrew Garfield's screen test wasn't enough to win him the role, his plan for his performance should've been.
After all, that kind of problem-solving - not ego - is what Peter Parker would've done.
His natural, laid-back authentic approach is also similar to that of Tom Holland who reportedly improvised his own entrance and showed that he could adapt.
It was also fascinating to hear how he weighed the consequences of being cast as the iconic hero, knowing that the role came with great responsibility.
These sorts of comments, coupled with Garfield's No Way Home performance, are why fans want more of the actor as the webhead.
While remains to be seen, there are opportunities ahead.
In addition to whatever Marvel and Sony have planned for Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4 and Sony's own Spider-Man Universe, the MCU Multiverse is heading towards Avengers: Secret Wars.
Plus, Sony has Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse releasing this year, followed by Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse in 2024.
Hopefully, Garfield will have the chance to play web-slinger once more in either live-action, animation, or all of the above.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is available to purchase; Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse arrives in theaters on Friday, June 2.
