Theatre

The athelete
Andrew Garfield, 22
Garfield has recently appeared at the National Theatre in ‘The Overwhelming’ and ‘Burn’/ ‘Chatroom’/‘Citizenship’.
When did you realise you wanted to be an actor?
I was a semi-professional gymnast until the age of 13. But I wanted just to be a kid. And not have a big fat man sitting on my back while I tried to do the splits. When I was 16, I played a baby in a school production. My drama teacher’s wife said, ‘He could do this for a living.’ And I thought: OK, that’s an idea.
Where did you train?
Central School of Speech and Drama.
How much has being born American affected the way you approach being a British actor?
It meant I was brought up on film – mostly ’80s movies, like ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Teen Wolf’. Those were my first influences. Feature continues

What’s the most terrifying thing you’ve had to do on stage?
Getting a blowjob [in ‘The Overwhelming’] was quite scary, especially when your auntie’s in the audience.
How did you get on with director Max Stafford-Clark?
[At the start of] my audition for ‘The Overwhelming’ he didn’t say ‘Hallo’, or shake my hand – he said, ‘Are you chewing gum?’ When I said, ‘Yes’ he said, ‘There’s a bin outside.’ When I returned, he said, ‘I was going to offer you a cup of tea, but I’m not going to do that now.’ I was quaking and rushes of heat were going through me. Once rehearsals began, he was lovely.
What is your dream project?
I’ve had a couple already – working at the National on a play like ‘Chatroom’ is something I’ll never forget. I also enjoy working with people like Anna Mackmin.