Andrew Garfield being his usual flawless self for Shortlist Magazine

 FROM SOCIAL NETWORKS TO SPIDER-MEN
An exclusive chat with Andrew



Andrew Garfield is about to kick down the door to the A-List only bathroom and wash his hands in the warm water of fame. He stars in The Social Network (a hot candidate for next year's Oscars) as Facebook supremo Mark Zuckerberg's ex-best friend Eduardo Saverin, and is about to swing onto our screens as the new Spider-Man. That's why Andrew Dickens made his way to LA to meet him.

So, great film, I assume you’re very pleased with it…

“I haven’t seen it.”

Oh. Well it’s very good.

“Doesn’t matter, doesn’t matter. That’s part of my ethos behind not seeing it. I’m trying to deal with the fact that some people might not like things. In theatre I haven’t been able to watch things back, but with film, I’d get so excited because I thought I can finally enjoy something I’m in. But every time all I can see is the holes in my performance and not the cheese. I’m not aware of any cheese. I’m trying to protect myself by not watching any more and letting go, not getting caught up in what people think. It’s really difficult to do!”

That’s going to make this interview a lot harder.
“Sorry!”

Just kidding. The Social Network doesn’t pull any punches in its portrayal of the characters. Was everyone concerned about the risks of playing real people?

“It’s a script based on a real event, but it’s still a script, still a work of imagination. I don’t know who Aaron’s sources were. He obviously used the book and he used sources. I think what’s wonderful is that it’s multi-perspective; everyone’s in the right and everyone’s in the wrong. I think that is so difficult to achieve. Only an incredibly gifted writer can do that and Aaron Sorkin is that.”

Did you Google Eduardo Saverin?
“Yeah, I came up with two photographs. That’s all I had to go on, which was disappointing. I had thought ‘I’m playing a real person who’s my age and still alive. I can steal every aspect of him and put it on screen’. On the other hand, it was very liberating. You have a picture and you project what you think this person might be. The script was genius. Sorkin writes so specifically. The characters are so specifically drawn. It’s like playing Shakespeare or Chekov or Miller. It’s high praise, but I mean it.”

Be honest, did you look at the pictures and compare yourself. Decide who was better looking?

“Ha!”

I know I would.

“Did I? I don’t remember doing that. You try to do things without judging. Of the pictures I saw he was very warm. He seemed comfortable and loose. I linked that to him being Brazilian. Thought he looked really nice. I think he’s an extremely good looking man.”

The film suggests Zuckerberg made Facebook for love. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for a lady?

“I think people do most things for love. I’ve climbed walls and into windows, broken down locked doors. Stupid stuff. Places that I wasn’t invited.”

Ever serenaded?

“Oh, yeah. Not as eloquently as John Cusack in Say Anything, but yeah, in an ironic way. In a way that I know it would be appreciated. I’ve never killed.”

Not yet…

“Not yet… I wouldn’t rule that out. Loves is an amazing thing, it’s a propellant, it keeps us moving.”

Is David Fincher intense to work with?

“[laughs] Yeah. His ethos, which I totally agree with, is that we’re all here, we’re getting paid, let’s squeeze as much juice out of this as we can, otherwise what’s the point? I’m so lucky to be part of making films, so let’s sing for our supper. But yeah, it’s intense with him. He does multi, multi takes. But he has the freedom to because the studio trusts him; he makes great movies. Plus he’s shooting digitally, so you’re not wasting film. You just delete what you don’t want. He actually does it at the time. It’s very frightening but very liberating.”

Did you have any nights out with Justin Timberlake during filming?

“No. Afterwards, yes, but not during. We didn’t get on. Our characters didn’t get on. Not to say we didn’t get on as people, it’s just that it never came up.”

Semi-method acting? Subconcious method?

“I guess you just want to make things as authentic as possible. I guess I had a subconscious feeling towards him throughout the process. It was intense, but it was really fun. After it each take it’d be [slaps my knee] ‘well done’. But I tried to keep my distance.”

Is he a babe magnet?

“He’s Justin Timberlake! During filming it was hard, but after we began to hang out and we became friends. He’s a genuine down to earth, good human being – a really good person.”

Did you ever hit the dance-floor with him?

“No.”

It’s not really worth trying, is it?

“[laughs] Yeah, I do the dance from Boy A, just drop a pill and see what happens. No, I don’t do drugs. I said to him on numerous occasions that I want him to teach me how to dance, but he hasn’t done it yet. He doesn’t seem to be interested in helping me out with that. He’s busy. He’s tired. I’ll find a different dance teacher.”

Obvious question: how many Facebook friends have you got?

“I’m not on Facebook.”

You’re not?

“No, I stopped. I was massively on Facebook, I just decided it wasn’t healthy. Every day I’m trying not to succumb to that icon on my laptop, but so far so good.”

How many months clean are you?
“I think about two months clean. No, three or four months clean. I’m setting up support groups across LA. That’s the kind of thing LA would have.”

Did you stalk ex girlfriends’ holiday snaps?

“It’s inevitable, it’s impossible to avoid. Access to information is a dangerous, dangerous thing. It’s difficult to not look at something that may or may not be healthy for you. I didn’t get dark on it, I didn’t get stalkery, but I‘d be out of the country and I’d be looking at photos of last night’s party and getting upset that I wasn’t there. Just silly things.”

There’s a great example in the film of how crazy people get when Savarin’s girlfriend goes mental at him because of his relationship status.

“Have you seen the South Park episode about Facebook? It’s the perfect social commentary. It’s insane. Zuckerberg’s a magician. Are you on there?”

Yep.

“Why do you love it?”

Because I’m really bad at keeping in touch.

“It’s everyone’s front cover of their own Rolling Stone.”

With a photo taken from a 45-degree angle. It’s the first date thing, putting your best bits forward.

“Yeah, but these sites like Match.com – people get married, find their true love. There’s a positive side.”

They help with efficient dating. You can exchange a few emails first to make sure they’re not a racist.

“And there’s a tell-tale sign with the angle of the photo taking.”

Yeah, they’re fat.

“No! I didn’t say that. Your words!”

Did you use a real name or a fake name?

“I had a real name then a fake name. But you can’t actually delete your account.”

Yeah, and apparently every picture becomes the property of Facebook.

“Dark.”

Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin fell out over the trifling matter of hundreds of millions of dollars. What’s the most petty falling out or argument you’ve had?

“Falling out or argument? I never really fall out with anyone.”

Well, in that case it’ll be the argument then.

“When you’re in a relationship you have ridiculously petty arguments. I think I got mad at my girlfriend for not using a coaster two nights ago. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in retrospect. I’m awful. When you realise those are the things you’re made up of sometimes, that’s awful. I’m going to self-flagellate as soon as I get out of here. I’m going to get my cat-o-nine-tails out of my trunk and tear up some flesh. Lateness. I get upset about that, too. There’s a scene in The Social Network when JT turns up late. I didn’t have to act nothing. I was really pissed off.”

You’re half-English, half-American – do American accents come easily to you?

“I work hard at it like any accent. No one place in America is the same as another place. It’s the same with ‘us’.”

Do you struggle with any accents?

“I haven’t been in a position where I’ve had to do a Scottish or Irish accent and that is scary to me. But it’s like training a muscle, so it doesn’t worry me. I’d just need a year to make sure I could do it convincingly and properly. Maybe live there a little while.”

Or you need to be Michael Caine. [adopts Michael Caine voice] Hello Bonny Lad.

“Or be Sean Connery and just not bother. He doesn’t need it.”

Your accent is mainly English, but do you see yourself as British or American?

“What do you mean ‘mainly’?”

Well, there’s the odd dropping of ‘T’s, but Brits all do that when over here.

“Really?”

Yeah. You say things like ‘twenny’.
“Oh yeah, but my dad’s American, so that may be my actual accent. My friends call me up on that sometimes.”

Okay, so which is it?

“Neither, I love both places, but I don’t identify with either.”

Really? I’ve prepared a little test…

“Oh dear.”

Rubbish or garbage?

“Rubbish.”

Tomarto or tomayto?

“Tomarto.”

Cadbury’s or Hershey’s?

“Cadbury’s. Are you kidding me? Hershey’s is the worst!”

It tastes of vomit, doesn’t it?

“It’s dreadful. I have no idea who eats it.”

Hershey’s kisses are like being kissed by a tramp.

“Haha! Like being kissed by Mr Hershey. [Does creepy old American man voice] ‘Would ya like a kiss?’”

Nice cup of tea or skinny mochafrappacappulatte?

“Erm, beer!”

Lager?

“Yeah, lager.”

Okay, you’re ours. You’re the new Spider-Man. No pressure. Are you prepared to go up against Robert Pattison in the teen heartthrob stakes?

“I don’t see it that way. I know why you ask that question. Rob’s a friend of mine and I care about him a lot. We’re very supportive of each other.”

I cut my holiday short and flew here from Vancouver for this interview. Before that I did two months of emailing and phoning to find a hole in your ridiculously busy schedule. How far would you go for a role? Shaved head? Starvation?

“I’d do anything.”

[simultaneously] “Sex change?” “Sex change!”

“Or get a horrible disease. No, that would be awful.”

But the sex change is okay?

“As long as they froze the member. It needs to be reversible.”


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