Method acting has long been a divisive technique within Hollywood. Several stars have spoken out against it in the past few months, with David Harbour calling the approach nonsense. Jon Bernthal claims he doesn't "see any benefit" with method acting, and Mads Mikkelsen calls it "pretentious." However, Andrew Garfield, the star of blockbuster films such as Hacksaw Ridge, The Social Network, and The Amazing Spider-Man, thinks the hate is a misconception.
Speaking to Marc Maron on his WTF Podcast, Garfield revealed his rigorous method acting process for the 2016 film Silence, which saw the actor playing a 17th-century Jesuit priest. He told Maron, "People are still acting that way, and it's not about being an asshole to everyone on set."
"I'm kind of bothered by the misconception, I'm kind of bothered by this idea that 'method acting is f*****g bulls**t.' People are still acting in that way, and it's not about being an asshole to everyone on set. It's actually just about living truthfully under imagined circumstances, and being really nice to the crew simultaneously, and being a normal human being, and being able to drop it when you need to and staying in it when you want to stay in it."
Garfield feels quite differently about the entire experience compared to some Hollywood stars. However, he assures fans he keeps the highest respect for his co-stars while on set.
Andrew Garfield Had a 'Trippy Experience' From His Silence Method Acting
During Garfield's interview on the WTF Podcast, the actor dove deeper into the measures he took to nail his character in Silence. Garfield claimed he was "celibate for six months" while starving himself for the role. He claims the adventure was incredible, resulting in a few "trippy experiences."
"I had an incredibly spiritual experience. I did a bunch of spiritual practices every day, I created new rituals for myself. I was celibate for six months, and fasting a lot, because me and Adam had to lose a bunch of weight anyway. It was very cool, man. I had some pretty wild, trippy experiences from starving myself of sex and food at that time."
Not many actors are willing to go to the lengths Garfield did to get the role in Silence. However, it may be the best technique when actors want to fully engulf themselves in their work. It doesn't seem to be a problem within the industry as long as the actors continue to treat the film crew with respect and kindness, as Garfield claims he does.