Andrew Garfield ‘Felt Too Old’ for Spider-Man Audition and Went to the Screen Test Thinking: ‘Treat This Like It Doesn’t F—ing Matter. I Don’t Give a F—‘

Andrew Garfield was the latest guest on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast and remembered feeling “too old” to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man when he walked in to audition for “The Amazing Spider-Man.” He’d end up getting the lead role, which spanned the 2012 film and its 2014 sequel, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” Garfield credited his acting coach Greta Seacat for helping him nab Spider-Man, as her advice before his screen test made him treat it like “it doesn’t fucking matter.”

“I did the first audition and thought that’s that. I’m too old. I felt I was too told,” Garfield said. “Just generally I was like I am 25 or 26 and playing a high schooler. I know I got good genes and all but I don’t know. That’s not going my way. I was surprised to be given an opportunity to screen test.”

More from Variety

• Andrew Garfield Says Sex Scene With Florence Pugh in 'We Live in Time' Went a 'Little Bit Further' Than Intended: 'We Never Heard Cut'

• Andrew Garfield 'Would 100% Come Back' as Spider-Man if It's 'Additive to the Culture,' Assumed Tobey Maguire Wouldn't Return for 'No Way Home'

• Andrew Garfield Says 'We Live in Time' Helped Him Through a 'Kind of Mid-Life Crisis'

“Greta gave me an acting adjustment: You have to treat this screen test as if you’re making a short film with all your high school friends. That allowed me to go fuck it,” he continued. “Keep the channel open. Be free. This doesn’t matter. Treat this like it doesn’t fucking matter. That’s when whatever talent you do have can just be there. You’re a child again. You’re emotionally available and you’re not tight and trying to get it right. I remember that feeling of ‘I don’t give a fuck.'”

Garfield walked out of his screen test feeling “really good” thanks to that key change in mentality, and the rest is history. The underperformance of “Amazing Spider-Man 2″ effectively killed his short-lived tenure as Spider-Man, but Garfield was asked back for 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The Marvel tentpole grossed $1.9 billion worldwide by bringing Garfield’s Spider-Man face to face with Tom Holland’s version and Tobey Maguire’s.

“For sure, I would 100% come back if it was the right thing, if it’s additive to the culture, if there’s a great concept or something that hasn’t been done before that’s unique and odd and exciting and that you can sink your teeth into,” Garfield told Esquire earlier this month. “I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I’m joyful in return.”

Watch Garfield’s full interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast below.

Best of Variety

• New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 

• From Taylor and Travis to Oasis: The Best Couples Costumes to Wear This Halloween

• The Best Pop Culture Halloween Costumes for 2024: From Chappell Roan to Moo Deng

Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.