The five most scintillating supporting performances of Andrew Garfield
British actor Andrew Garfield has always had his fans, but in recent years the support for the young star has increased exponentially. Whilst several roles can be attributed to his renewed rise, there’s no doubt that his role in the Marvel movie Spider-Man: No Way Home significantly increased his stardom. He stole the show as a refreshed version of his character, who first appeared in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012.
Starring alongside Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Willem Dafoe, Garfield was among good company in the 2021 movie, surrounded by actors equally beloved in contemporary cinema. That said, the appreciation for Garfield’s Spider-Man was considerable, prompting Disney executives to consider bringing his version of the titular character back for good.
Though Garfield has delivered impressive performances in the industry since 2005, appearing in several TV programmes before making his debut feature film appearance in Boy A in 2007. Since then, he has had the chance to work with filmmakers like Robert Redford, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Mel Gibson, David Robert Mitchell, Andy Serkis and Lin-Manuel Miranda, building quite the filmography of supporting roles in the process.
Here, we look at his five best performances to date…
Andrew Garfield’s best supporting performances:
Lions for Lambs (Robert Redford, 2007)
Playing a young student with fresh-faced exuberance in Robert Redford’s 2007 drama, Garfield emerges from the film as one of the most gripping characters. Following an army ranger who sustains injuries behind enemy lines in Afghanistan and the sequence of events that affects a congressman, a journalist and a professor. Despite appearing beside Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Redford, Garfield manages to give a memorable performance.
Still, in his career’s infancy, Garfield’s promise was self-evident in Lions for Lambs, with some of the best moments in the film occurring between his and Redford’s characters.
The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010)
By 2010, Garfield was undoubtedly a burgeoning star, taking roles in two major films that same year. The most major of the two, David Fincher’s The Social Network, remains one of the greatest movies of modern cinema, telling the story of the Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg. Sacrificing friends, family and close relationships for the sheer pursuit of narcissistic economic gain, Zuckerberg’s rise, both in reality and in David Fincher’s film, is one of the greatest or the most tragic illustrations of the American dream.
One of the many people he betrays is Andrew Garfield’s Eduardo Saverin, a loveable character who stays loyal to the protagonist, despite his wrongdoings, with the many boardroom scenes between him and Jesse Eisenberg’s Zuckerberg being utter movie magic.
Never Let Me Go (Mark Romanek, 2010)
Celebrated by a small circle of fans and critics, Never Let Me Go has a brutal premise, telling the story of a group of young students at a mysterious school who are raised to harvest their organs. A love story and a tragic drama, Romanek’s movie is a true modern great that delicately plays with its dystopian themes, made all the better through the performances of Garfield, Kiera Knightley and Carey Mulligan.
Playing a fragile, broken character with desperate emotional humanity, Garfield is the standout performer here, with his delicate character bringing much of the dramatic heart to Romanek’s fantastic film.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Michael Showalter, 2021)
By 2021, Garfield was undoubtedly a star, having helmed his own blockbuster Spider-Man movies for Sony, as well as earning two ‘Best Leading Actor’ nominations at the Academy Awards for both Hacksaw Ridge and tick, tick…BOOM!. His critical success would continue in the surprise hit The Eyes of Tammy Faye, where he played Jim Bakker, bringing the eccentric performance of Jessica Chastain, playing televangelist Tammy Faye, down to earth.
Providing an underrated performance that delivered dramatic power yet was overshadowed by the enormity of Chastain’s role, Garfield should really be given more praise for this one.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Jon Watts, 2021)
It’s difficult not to underestimate the gravity of Garfield’s performance in Marvel’s epic Spider-Man: No Way Home which saw the actor return to the superhero franchise in a (somewhat foreseeable) surprise cameo. Despite the star power of Zendaya and Tom Holland, as well as the appearance of Tobey Maguire, who had returned to the series for the first time in 14 years, Garfield still stole the show.
With an unrivalled charm and natural wit, Garfield became the most memorable character in a film that was stuffed full of surprises. With fans begging for his return to the franchise, the next time we see him take on the Spider-Man spandex once more, he might not be in a supporting role.
