Andrew Garfield

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Host Amy Poehler sits down with Andrew Garfield for a wide-ranging conversation covering his intense work ethic, sensory preferences, and re

Key takeaways

• Andrew Garfield describes his approach to roles, such as in Tick, Tick... Boom!, as requiring a monk-like discipline regarding physical preparation.
• The discussion redefines 'method acting' not as being difficult, but as finding personal revelation and living truthfully under imagined circumstances.

Main topics

• Acting methodologies
• Work ethic and discipline

Notable quotes

The actor's job is personal revelation while the cameras are performing.

Conclusion

An intimate look at the intersection of professional excellence and pe

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:04) Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We have Andrew Garfield on today. Andrew is just the best, a real tenderoni and hilarious and talented and star of film and Broadway. And we are going to get into so many things today. We're going to talk about how Munich has the best felt. We're going to talk about having that competitive spirit, especially when it comes to board games. We're going to talk about being method, but not being a jerk. And we're going to talk about his new movie, The Uprising, which is out now and looks incredible, like all of the stuff that Andrew does. So we're very, very excited to get started, but we always start our episodes by speaking to somebody who knows our guest, who has worked with our guest, has good things to say about our guests behind their back. And we're going to talk to... A legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda. You know him from, oh, I don't know, Hamilton and Moana and the upcoming Warriors musical and five other million things that he's won 10 EGOTs for. Lin, hi. Speaker 3 (1:17) This episode is brought to you by Uber. You know those little choices you make that give you more comfort throughout the day, like planning your outfit the night before, sharing your location with a friend when heading home late, taking the actual lunch break away from your desk. Uber has one too. It's called Women Preferences and it lets women riders request a woman driver directly in the app because sometimes having a little more choice can make a big difference. It's Speaker 1 (1:43) a Speaker 3 (1:43) simple option that can help women feel more comfortable during their ride. Learn more on the Uber app. Speaker 1 (2:02) I can't wait to get you into the stude. Can I tell you, I had a nightmare about that once. You did? I had a nightmare that like you invited me on, but you didn't, I could tell you didn't really want me to be on. Like someone had you and you're like, come in, I guess. Speaker 3 (2:18) That's making me nauseous. Like you were very Speaker 1 (2:19) unenthusiastic about it. And you're like, sit down, I guess. And it wasn't your usual set. It was just like some apartment where I was like, I was like a pity guest. Speaker 3 (2:29) Oh, that's giving everybody the chills in here. That is a proper stress dream. Speaker 1 (2:36) Woke up in a sweat. I can handle a lot of things I cannot handle not being a good hang with you. Oh my Speaker 3 (2:41) God, I'm so sorry that I was that way in your dream. In real life, and we are awake, and I can't wait to get you in here. I am such a fan of your work. Love, would love to talk to you and would be. So happy to be talking to you. Speaker 1 (2:57) Oh my goodness gracious. Yes, yes, yes. Speaker 3 (2:59) And so happy to be talking to you today. It looks like you're in some kind of studio. There's a piano behind you. Speaker 1 (3:04) Yes, we are in day two of our workshop for our next musical. Warriors! Warriors! Speaker 3 (3:12) Come out to play! Speaker 1 (3:15) That's the one! So Issa Davis and I are here in the room. There are actors learning songs in the next room. Speaker 3 (3:22) There must be no better feeling than like working with the piano and like hearing people sing in the other room and just the workshopping of it all. Speaker 1 (3:30) Yeah, well, it's the thing of like other people, you get the solitude of writing and then you also get to like bring in a song and then people who sing much better than you sound beautiful on it. And it's, you know, I had so much fun with your episode with Groff, who is also like one of my closest friends, because just the joy off him is like we're in the play. We get to be in the school play and we're all still chasing that high. Yes. Well, Speaker 3 (3:57) I feel that way, you know, about you, Lynn. Like I feel, I know that everybody that works with you feels that way. Like you're such a collaborator. You love the process. You love making things better, you know, letting the best idea win. Like you can feel that. And also you're a fan. like you've never stopped being a fan of the thing that you're doing. Speaker 1 (4:21) Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, no, it's, it is. I mean, it's why I had so much fun when I was on SNL. It was, it's, it's the school play on steroids. It's like a supercharged version of the thing that got me hooked on this art form of like. we get to make it like, and we get to make something bigger than any of us could make alone, I think is the big thing. Speaker 3 (4:42) Yes. So well said. So well said. And you got to work with sweet Andrew Garfield. Sweet, Speaker 1 (4:50) sweet Andrew Garfield. First of Speaker 3 (4:51) all, congratulations on Tick, Tick, Boom. What a beautiful film. It Speaker 1 (4:55) makes my life that you even know what that is and have seen it. Of Speaker 3 (4:58) course. I loved the performance, loved your direction. What incredible cast. Speaker 3 (5:05) Can we talk about it just for a second? Because I know it, you know, it was, it's personal material. It's also about a person's life who, and Andrew is kind of actor who's played a lot of real people as I've been looking at his career. And like, could you imagine even a more considerate and nicer person to like take somebody's real life into their hands? But can you just tell me, how did you guys come together to make that? How did that, how did that happen? Speaker 1 (5:31) Sure. I, I, You know, most of my familiarity with Andrew's work was actually theater. Like I was lucky enough to see him in Death of a Salesman with Philip Seymour Hoffman. And he was unreal in that. And then I saw him in Angels in America, both parts, which is like, it's a day. It's your day. You go to the matinee to see part one, you eat dinner, you see part two, they're both three hours long. And I didn't know whether he had a musical bone in his body, but it's such an endurance test, that play. And he was so magnificent in it that I was just like, this guy can do anything. I just thought, I don't know if he can sing, but I think he can do anything. Yeah. Andrew and I had like exchanged an email or two in our lives. He was a fan of Hamilton. And so I... I said, can we go out to like dinner before your performance? He was doing Angels on Broadway at the time. And I took him out to sushi and I told him about the movie we were working on. And I said, can you sing? And he said, when are you making this? And I go, not for a year. And he goes, then I can sing. Speaker 3 (6:49) Amazing. Speaker 1 (6:50) And I was like, oh my God, he's going to learn. Well, that's Speaker 3 (6:53) kind of like the theme of what I want to talk to him about today is that he works very hard. He's a really hard worker and takes, I think, a lot of pride in that. Speaker 1 (7:04) Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. He wants the work. He wants the discipline. And like, you have to be a monk to do eight shows a week. Like you actually have to like know when you're eating, know exactly what you're putting in your body so that. You are at your peak at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. that night. He has played a monk. And, like, lives it. Like, he truly lives it. And Speaker 3 (7:27) you know how I feel about Broadway. Absolutely too many shows. I've said this. Speaker 1 (7:32) Well, to quote you in Wet Hot American Summer, theater is now and it's you. Speaker 3 (7:38) That is true. Speaker 1 (7:39) Which I watch maybe once a month. I watched that speech to myself. Very obtuse. Speaker 3 (7:47) Yeah. It makes perfect sense. It's now and Speaker 1 (7:50) it's you. I mean, you basically played me in that, me at 14 in that movie. Like, guys, this is serious. Speaker 1 (7:57) And then you learn, well, you learn, oh, no one wants to work with that person. Like your job is to make the most fun room possible so that people choose doing the play over basketball, over debate team. Like, no, no, actually, this is the most fun place to be. Not guys. We're going to work steps. Speaker 3 (8:17) Story of my life. Story of my life, which is just like, just chill out. Chill out. Speaker 3 (8:25) Just pump the brakes on whatever you're saying. Okay, so do you have a question you think I should ask Andrew today? Anything big, small? Speaker 1 (8:35) Well, yeah, my question comes with a story, which is that, you know, famously, Andrew, like, learned to sing, like, took a year and then came out on the other end and was just, like, an amazing singer for my movie. And there was a sequence we had to shoot that was a swimming pool scene. Jonathan Larson like would swim to get his ideas. And he wrote this great stream of consciousness song and he gets the idea while he's doing laps. And I, you know, had three days in the actual pool. Larson swam in, in the village and, uh, you know, had a stunt double for all of the like complicated underwater photography, had a special underwater photographer. And then I found out Andrew is basically Michael Phelps. Like his dad is a swim instructor. That's right. And Andrew swam better than my stunt double. So my question is like one, what are the other superpowers you have that a director hasn't tapped yet? Speaker 3 (9:33) And, Speaker 1 (9:33) and one, like what feels like even too much of a challenge? Like he'd learned to sing for me. He, Martin Scorsese, like threw him into the wild. Like he's, he's really taken on some. I think he gets very excited by the challenges. Like what's one where, what's something that really scares him that he would still probably do? Speaker 3 (9:56) That's a great question. And I think he's going to love it because I think he is very driven exactly by what you said, by the challenge of what to do next. And yeah, and I never know what he's going to do next. It's always really interesting. I mean, his new film that's out is about a peasant revolt. Speaker 1 (10:12) Yeah. And then he goes from that to Sam Altman. Yeah. Crazy. I Speaker 3 (10:16) know. Crazy. Well, Lynn, I loved talking to you. I think we're going to have a very good time and not a scary dream time when we see each other. Speaker 1 (10:25) Thank you. I appreciate that. Speaker 3 (10:28) And thanks for stepping away. Speaker 1 (10:29) Absolutely. Have fun with Andrew. He's a lovey, lovey, love. Speaker 3 (10:32) Okay. Take care. Thanks again. Speaker 1 (10:33) Awesome. Bye. Speaker 3 (10:37) This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking whether you set an alarm before having an afternoon power nap, only to wake up two hours later, drowsy, confused, so many missed calls. Yeah, checking first is a good idea. So check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Speaker 2 (11:05) Illinois. Speaker 3 (11:07) Andrew Garfield is here. We're talking about smells. Do you feel like you have a delicate, do you feel like you have a sensitive nose? Can you smell things? I do. I feel like I'm a super smeller. Do not. Speaker 3 (11:27) I bet you, I bet you are sensitive to smells. I, if I can't, if I can't deal with, smell is my number one, my number one sense. I'm the best at it. Speaker 3 (11:46) What do you think is your best of the five senses? What is your best? What's Speaker 2 (11:49) my best sense? What's my most accomplished sense? Speaker 3 (11:52) We've got smell. Speaker 2 (11:54) Remind me of the others. Speaker 3 (11:55) We've got smell. We've got hearing. Speaker 2 (11:58) We've Speaker 3 (11:58) got sight. We've got touch. And what's the other one? Speaker 2 (12:03) Taste. Oh, yeah. I always forget taste. You've got it. I'm not going to be humble about this. Don't be. And I don't mean to brag at the same time. I'm kind of trying to be neutral. I Speaker 3 (12:16) love a brag. Speaker 2 (12:17) I'd say touch. Dang. Or Speaker 3 (12:34) the best date ever. But touch. So do you. Okay, let me ask you a touch question. Yeah, please do. Because Speaker 2 (12:42) I enjoy. Speaker 3 (12:42) I enjoy. I like how things feel. Like I like the texture. Speaker 2 (12:45) Yes, Speaker 3 (12:45) you're a Speaker 2 (12:46) tactile. I'm Speaker 3 (12:47) a tactile person as well. Yeah. When you're shopping for clothes, Speaker 2 (12:50) do Speaker 3 (12:51) you do what I do, which is you just, you go like this. Speaker 2 (12:55) You Speaker 3 (12:55) just go. Speaker 3 (12:57) If it's not soft, I'm not interested. Speaker 2 (13:01) You go and Speaker 3 (13:02) you sniff it and then you touch it. Fabric. Yeah. Speaker 2 (13:09) You know what I love? Speaker 3 (13:10) Yes. Speaker 2 (13:11) Can I tell you anyway? Speaker 3 (13:13) Yes. Speaker 3 (13:18) Felt. I fucking love Speaker 2 (13:19) felt. Fucking hell. What do we got? Speaker 3 (13:22) Hold on. Stand by. Speaker 2 (13:23) We're going to start the interview. I know where the felt is in this room. I'm like a divining rod for felt. Hold on. Speaker 1 (13:29) Okay, this is... Speaker 3 (13:29) We're recording in New York. I have more felt in LA. Okay. But... Yeah, Speaker 2 (13:33) LA is much more felt friendly. This is a Speaker 3 (13:36) fake cheeseburger. Open that up. Oh my God. That's a hard felt. It's Speaker 2 (13:42) a little hard, this felt. This felt is not, it's not Munich felt. I was just in Munich. Munich felt? Speaker 2 (13:52) I told you I like felt. Speaker 3 (13:53) Say more. Speaker 2 (13:54) Munich is known for its felt making. Speaker 3 (13:57) That's all I got. And it has like specific, you can tell. Beautifully made Speaker 2 (14:01) felt. So I was shooting in Munich. This is a great podcast story. I was shooting in Munich. Yes. And I didn't have much time on my hands. I was shooting like intensely. But the time I did have Speaker 3 (14:16) was Speaker 2 (14:17) spent. In the felt store. Speaker 3 (14:19) Were you playing somebody who had to felt? Speaker 1 (14:21) No, I was playing Speaker 2 (14:22) a peasant. Speaker 3 (14:23) Right. This is this new movie, The Uprising. Yes, Speaker 2 (14:26) called The Uprising. Speaker 3 (14:27) We want to talk about it. And I want to talk about the fact that you are, look at you. You really do like touches of very important sense. Speaker 2 (14:34) Look at you touching. I would never lie to you about something so vital. Hold Speaker 3 (14:37) on. Sorry, but I just want to indulge your touch fantasy here, which is look at this. Speaker 2 (14:41) What do you got? Speaker 1 (14:43) Another Speaker 2 (14:44) cheeseburger. This fell is too hard for me. Yeah, Speaker 3 (14:45) sorry. That wasn't good. Speaker 2 (14:47) Give that a squeeze. Oh, that's lovely. That's what she said. That's really lovely. I'm really glad it doesn't squeak. Speaker 3 (14:53) I'm glad it doesn't squeak because I'm an adult. You know what I mean? Yeah, Speaker 2 (14:56) you're a mature lady. I'm a mature adult. I don't Speaker 3 (14:58) need a dog toy. Speaker 2 (14:59) I don't need to get excited by sounds in the way that a dog might. Speaker 3 (15:02) No. There's actually no worse feeling than when you bring home a toy for a child or a dog and you realize that it squeaks. You're like, oh, fuck. Speaker 2 (15:09) Why didn't I check that? Yeah. What's cool about this. Yeah? Speaker 2 (15:18) Yeah. What's cool about this... Let Speaker 3 (15:21) me smell Speaker 2 (15:21) it while Speaker 3 (15:21) you talk about it. You never smelt it. It's not bad. You know, sometimes these smell like... They come... Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. You Speaker 2 (15:31) all know. You all know. You all know what we're about to say. You Speaker 3 (15:35) guys know how your fake cheeseburgers sometimes smell in your office. You know. We... Andrew Garfield is here. Speaker 1 (15:46) We're starting... Speaker 2 (15:46) That's all the time we have. Speaker 3 (15:48) But you're talking about the uprising. I want to talk to you about this because I'm, okay. I've been thinking about my theme for you. Theme. Yeah. About what to talk to you about today. Cause I feel like we could talk forever and I love talking to you. Speaker 2 (16:00) Me too. And Speaker 3 (16:01) same. Speaker 2 (16:02) I love this by the way, what you're doing here is so beautiful. And I'm like, it's about time. There's another podcast. Speaker 3 (16:08) Yeah. I know there wasn't enough. Weirdly. Weirdly. People hadn't. We have room for one more. Speaker 2 (16:16) No, but like if anyone should in this world have this room. Thank you for that. It's Speaker 3 (16:22) really fun. Yeah, Speaker 2 (16:23) man. Really fun. And Speaker 3 (16:25) I've been paying attention to, as I've been thinking about and prepping for today, about your work and your life and you. And I'm fascinated by your love of hard work. You just love to work hard. Speaker 2 (16:40) Yeah, I do. You love it. You do too. Speaker 3 (16:42) Yes, but not as much as I used to. Not anymore. That's why I have Speaker 2 (16:46) a Speaker 3 (16:46) podcast, baby. Just realizing. Sitting down with a... But your work ethic is really something. It's very admirable. I know you care. Like your love language feels like it's like acts of service. Like you do things for people, right? I got you. Very funny. Speaker 2 (17:05) Yes, you're on. You're dead on. That Speaker 3 (17:07) is how... you show your passion for stuff, your love for people and how you show up in your work. And you're always working so hard and in everything you're doing, you're training, you're starving, learning how to sing this new movie. So it looks so hard. It looks so cold. Speaker 2 (17:28) and dirty and hard. Speaker 3 (17:31) And that's all. I just want you to just take it. I want to talk to your team. Take it easier. You Speaker 2 (17:35) want me to take it easier? Yeah. Speaker 3 (17:37) I'm really into your relationship to work because I think it's like, it's very admirable. And also I think it's, it's very, I think it's your way into stuff. Would you agree? Speaker 2 (17:49) Yeah. I mean, you know, I keep, because one of my favorite episodes that you've done is with Cole Escola. It was just heaven. It's a heaven conversation. And just the running bit of, I Speaker 1 (18:02) just like playing. It's Speaker 2 (18:03) all play to me. Like the play is the thing. And like, honestly, I'm just like, I can never go on Amy's podcast because I will be the guy actually saying that. For real. I know what you mean. It's Speaker 3 (18:16) really Speaker 2 (18:16) impossible. You guys have made it impossible to have a serious conversation about creativity. Speaker