Andrew Garfield covers the latest issue of Out Magazine, although I would completely understand if you didn’t recognize him. It’s not that the image is crazy Photoshopped exactly… it’s just a weird photo where Garfield looks more like Jake Johnson, right? Odd. Anyway, Andrew is still talking about the backlash/criticism he got from saying was “a gay man…without the physical act” because he was doing so much research for his role in Angels In America. Personally, that didn’t offend me as much as what he cited as his research: binge-watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. Garfield covers Out because after a successful run in London, Angels in America is coming (back) to Broadway. You can read the full piece here. Here are some highlights, and yes, Garfield is still explaining the “gay man” comments.
Whether he felt unqualified playing a homosexual man: “Up until this point, I’ve only been sexually attracted to women. My stance toward life, though, is that I always try to surrender to the mystery of not being in charge. I think most people — we’re intrinsically trying to control our experience here, and manage it, and put walls around what we are and who we are. I want to know as much of the garden as possible before I pass — I have an openness to any impulses that may arise within me at any time. But, if I were to identify, I would identify as heterosexual, and being someone who identifies that way, and who’s taking on this seminal role, my scariest thought was, Am I allowed to do this?”
On the comment about feeling like a gay man: “I think part of what I was trying to say was about inclusion, and about that openness to my impulses.” (For the record, Garfield thinks Drag Race might be the best show he’s ever seen on television.)
Roy Cohn and Donald Trump: “How do you find compassion and love for the monsters we’re living with? How do you hate the disease and love the diseased? How do you hate the alcoholism and love the alcoholic? Maybe there are certain people who are born evil and are here to do evil deeds. Maybe there are sociopaths and psychopaths who are capable of those things and have no compassion. But in the cases of people like Roy Cohn and Donald Trump, I don’t believe they were born evil. I believe, from my own pseudo-psychological standpoint, that they learned how to be — learned how to survive. Trump somehow manages to survive with ugliness, and at all costs. But what this play is speaking to, down to the final monologue that Tony wrote for Prior, is not fire and brimstone. It’s not ‘we’re going to kill the f–kers’ or ‘we’re gonna cut their heads off.’ It’s incredibly gentle, loving, and compassionate, and it’s confident in the natural propensity of the world and its benevolent forces to win.”
Some days, I just want Andrew Garfield to take a step back and work on a light-hearted romantic comedy. But I suspect that if and when that day comes, he’ll find a way to make that sh-t dark and depressing too. That’s just who he is: dark and serious. It’s not pretend. It’s not “Method.” He’s just a very heavy-hearted guy. It’s why he and Emma Stone sort of worked: she was sunny and he was gloom, and they balanced each other out. As for whether Donald Trump was born a deplorable psycho or whether it’s learned behavior… I don’t know. I’ve never bothered to really think about it before now, and I find that I don’t really give a sh-t. Why should we care enough to wonder about Trump’s nature versus nurture? Can’t we just impeach the bastard and send him to jail?
Cover courtesy of Out Magazine, additional photo courtesy of WENN.
Although Andrew is a serious actor he’s also actually very funny and self deprecating. Just go on YouTube and you’ll see. It’s funny because all his favourite movies are comedies like Anchorman but he’s never done one. He’s said before that his brother is a doctor so he feels like the projects he picks have to put something good into the world. That’s why he was dissapointed with the Spider-Man stuff. He made them put the young actor in it and it was his idea to have spider-man save him from the bullies because that’s what Spider-Man did for Andrew growing up.
If I wasn’t a fan and only read the interviews & quotes that made headlines, I’d think he was serious, dark & depressing too. But having followed him for 7 yrs and having seen almost every interview, he is actually very funny and can be a total goofball. He does a lot of serious projects 99 Homes, Silence, Hacksaw Ridge, so of course he’s going to be asked the serious questions & come across as serious. I’d also love to see him do a romantic comedy b/c he does have great comedic timing, he’s actually hilarious in Angels in America (a serious play but very funny at times)
I agree I’ve been following him since his powerful performance in the social network and honestly don’t get the hate he gets but your right if I didn’t follow him I’d probably think the same. And I echo your romantic comedy wish too! Love for him to work with Claire Foy again. They had brilliant chemistry in Breathe just as good if not better than he and Emma Stone and seemed to get along very well.
Did you guys here the recent story about some weitd/strange man approaching a young girl while she was walking her dog. Andy saw it and felt something was off so he went to the little girl and asked to pet her dog and talked to the girl until the man left.
Yes I saw that! He’s just a sweet guy. Geniuinely. I saw a tweet that mentioned him doing that, helping a lady at lax carry her luggage and baby, buying a cake for someone when they didn’t have enough money and still doing photos/ signing at the stage door for angels in America (in London) when he was severely ill. He really is an underrated gem.
He’s making me Love him. He probably saved that girl from a pedophile. Her mom was so grateful. Maybe he really is a real life superhero.
BTW He’s so handsome in a young James Bond kind of way
I saw that story and thought it was a plant. Like, the same theme circles around and gets reused. Not easy to confirm or deny.
He’s off. Idk. Yes to everything you guys say. Funny. Serious. Gloomy. Sweet. And still, hmm…
I think it’s maybe more likely he has some major demons and does take himself too seriously. And that he and Emma were together because they both struggle.
As far as acting. He’s never come off very memorable imo.
How do we hate the disease but love the diseased?!?! Are we still on the let’s understand Trump train? I was over that when it started. There’s a difference between being my narcissistic, jerk of a friend and my narcissistic, jerk of a friend who is now in the business of crafting a policy around their whims. In the latter case, I don’t care how you got that way; I care what you’re doing with it now.
Eh, I don’t think he’s trying too hard to understand him, just giving quick take probably because he was asked. I think his theory makes sense…and I think he definitely isn’t minimizing what Trump and his ilk are doing now. I don’t mind what he has to say. These are dark, dark times.
Same, I’m not going to throw AG under the bus here. He seems like a good guy.
I don’t understand how Garfield can be criticized for trying to spread a message of love and compassion. I think he’s saying that hate begets hate, so instead, show a good example and offer understanding and empathy.
He’s an actor so the reasons why someone is the way he is would be appealing to a real actor who tries to get into the psyches of their characters, so I give him a pass.
But that said I get where you are coming from so much because I feel the same. I used to wonder what in the world is wrong with that man but that was when he was an overblown liar on a reality show. It was okay for him to be defective and though he has always been a hated figure he had no power.
It would take a team of seasoned psychologists to untangle what his problems are and a bigger one to untangle the psychosis of his family.
So my feeling is eff him I don’t care. I just want him to go the hell away.
He’s not entirely wrong about Trump. The guy was never an angel, but he did used to be a Democrat and good friend to the Clintons. He only really started going off the rails in his 60s. My theory of what went wrong with him is a combination of early onset dementia and racism from when Obama became president.
Or simply wants more power and more shady deals. And since dems would not take him seriously he used the other party famous for infamous candidates.
And also sheer opportunism. Finally realizing (or more likely being convinced by someone) that only the right could buy whatever he needed to sell to be POTUS.
@Leducduswaz:
Trump was a Democrat because it was fashionable and politically expedient to be one in NYC at the time.
If you’re unfortunate enough to read his biography, you’ll find there is very strong evidence that he’s been a bully, sexual predator and racist for most of his life.
Fair enough. I’m not American, so I don’t know that much about the New York social scene. I don’t think I’m totally wrong about the dementia though. Watching older clips of him, his speech patterns and mannerisms have definitely changed a lot, and not in a good way. From what I’ve seen on YouTube, he’s always been a dumbass, but he wasn’t always as belligerent and confused as he is now. Not that I’m excusing him in any way, but I think he’s at that age where it’s time to take his keys away before he runs someone over…
Lol re running someone over.
You are 100% right about the dementia. His pathology seems to be getting significantly worse the older he gets.
Just for fun, check this out:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SCnTGhZD4ds
He was a racist jerk publicly from the 70s on. There is nothing redeemable about this jackass and all the bad karma coming to him is well deserved because he has caused destruction for so many and more damage yet unknown until he is out of office. I don’t care about his soul and there is no point trying to understand a sociopath. His parents screwed up and the extreme privilege that a white rich guy has without any checks or balances lead to this despicable human. It’s not dementia. It’s just pure greed and narcissism and outside of psychology students, no one should waste a moment trying to figure out this waste of space. He is a compulsive liar that will never ever change. At 71 it’s too god damn late.
Sadly he was this obvious of a horrible garbage human during the election and there were enough sick Americans to vote for him over an imperfect but competent candidate like Hillary.
+10,000
+1,000,000
He believes in nothing but money.
Once when Don Jr was a child, someone told him you know your father loves you and he said No he doesn’t. He only loves money. But it wasn’t just on one occasion either. There are so many sad stories like that about his relationship with his kids. At one time Don Jr knew his father was malignant and tried to escape through drinking and then tried to forge a life on his own. He hated him for humiliating his mother, but he capitulated somewhere and is now going to jail most likely. Somewhere along the line, he breaks everyone around him, and he broke his children’s spirits early. They acted afraid of him and still do.
He is who needs to be to get what he wants. He has no real political beliefs. Whatever gets him what he wants.
Yep, well said.
Trump has always been off the rails regardless of his political affiliation. He was never clever or skilled. He just had a lot of money. He’s lost more than he’s made.
I think most people are built of a certain way. Free will rules. Some just find it easier to take certain. Paths. Very little to do with what we are taught. More to do with comfort of the path chosen.
Like liars. Some compulsive liars can’t stop. They speak. They don’t want to lie. It serves no purpose. It will only complicate. And yet, they speak and it comes out being constructed without preemptive thought.
He sounds exhausting and so full of himself.
Sorry, had to get that out of my chest…
And that cover is terrible…
P.S. I wonder how his ‘gay’ comments went down with the rest of the cast of Angels in America (mainly gay men playing gay men).
Well, his is how his gay co-star, Russell Tovey, reacted to the media twisting his tongue in cheek comment (if you listen to the audio, he was joking) into something it wasn’t “Andrew is my mate and OUR mate. How dare anyone make his beautiful words and kindness and pride into this toxic shi-t – stop this now”
While some people have more of a natural urge to be “evil” all humans are born with traits that are not good for living together in a civilized society. In that sense everyone is born evil. But most people are socialized to be better.
Would not be any kind of feat if someone was just born good. You could also blame people less for doing evil if that never was a real choice for them.
Trump had all the opportunites to be better and he didnt even have ithard in life at all.
He didn’t just binge watch Drag Race for research. That was the comment the media cherry picked to create maximum outrage. No one bothered going to the original source and post the full transcript of his answer. He talked about all the documentaries he watched, reading up on AIDS activists, talking extensively to Tony Kushner, going to drag workshops (his character is a former drag queen). His co-star then brought up his RuPaul parties and he said that’s all he had time to do on his weekends, watch RuPaul (his fav show) Then the media wrote all those clickbait headline saying “I watched RuPaul’s Drag Race and now I’m gay man without the physical act” and truncated his full quote to make him sound like an idiot.
Thank you for this comment. I’m sick of people jumping on the hate bandwagon because they couldn’t be bothered to actually listen to the full 40 mins thoughtful conversation(You can listen to on on the iTunes Store on the podcast section). Andrew is one of the good ones. There’s tons of twitter stories of him helping people out one about a girl that was walking her dog and I old man was being creepy to her so Andrew stayed with her till the creepy guy left, really stuck with me since we normally here of actors being creepy pervs these days.
That bothered me too, and it is done so often. It is unfair to do. Andrew is one of the better Hollywood types, and I wish the media would stop doing clickbait hit jobs on the nice ones. With all the skeeves around can we at least be kind to the decent guys. Geesh.
I believe I don’t care. The point is, he IS evil and we need him to gtfooh. Why are there these constant attempts to defend him and his base?
Garfield has Donald Trump Jr. hair, and I wish he would get rid of it. Why on earth would anyone think that is a good look?
Also, not certain why he feels compelled to “understand” Trump. Trump’s mental state doesn’t matter. What matters is that he is derelict in protecting us from Russian meddling in our elections, and he is derelict in allowing people who haven’t passed security checks in the WH handle sensitive information.
Re Donald Trump:
Psychopaths and sociopaths are born with a very strong biological pre-disposition towards evil.
The fact that his kids (at least his two older sons) are showing very strong indications of also being sociopathic/psychopathic, tells me that the problem is biological.
Considering he also had a mean, racist, crook for a father, the environment was also conducive, (perfect even) to trigger his anti-social personality. Trump most likely inherited it, and then passed it on to his kids.
Either way, I guess he never really stood a chance.
PS: *Impeach the bastard and send him to jail*
I agree. We have the concept of a “bad apple” for a reason. Trump was the kind of a kid to pull the wings off flies and burn kittens. He was documented to be a bully, a predatory self-promoter from very young.
I still know people – left-wing people – who describe him as a great negotiator however. A great negotiator who became a multiple bankrupt and needed outside meddling and a disgustingly corrupt Republican party to win. There’s this endless need to see him as someone he’s not.
He IS a great negotiator especially because being an unrepentant liar and a sociopath always helps while the other side is hampered by morality and empathy.
Yep, I believe it’s considered a biological predisposition.
To be fair, many people with cluster B personality types don’t commit crimes. They may be your co-worker, friend, or a relative. They may even hide it well by mimicking other people’s appropriate behavior. Only sometimes will the mask fall off.
I see it with Trump when he uses the death of others for personal gain. When the Pulse massacre happened, his first reaction was to say, “[I] was right” about his xenophobic beliefs. That’s the clue right there. Reaction: think of self, glorify self, and see how this situation can benefit self. When he was called out on it, he did the standard “thoughts and prayers.” He does not know how to deal with other people’s deaths, unless he can make it into a win for himself. That’s a sick person, and one who should never have any connection to power.
The sad thing is that many people looked right past this *obvious* character flaw and said, “I’m going to vote for that guy!” What about those people? I’m wondering if we have an epidemic of morally-flawed people in this country who can’t recognize wrong? Or, people who are that easily fooled? Or, people who are also suffering from the same sickness, but maybe, to a lower degree? Thus, they’re endorsing a higher form of themselves? It’s baffling when supposedly “good people” who pride themselves on their “Christian or good beliefs” act in ways that are deeply hypocritical.
I think Trump’s right about one thing, though. Putin is definitely laughing at us. It’s his wildest dream come true–create chaos & destruction–without firing a single shot. Now, Russia can be #1. All the cold war leaders–Stalin, etc.—must be so proud of Putin.
Sorry for all the random thoughts…
@ Moanne
I agree with every single point you’ve made and most especially this one:
“we have an epidemic of morally-flawed people in this country”
It’s sad and incredibly scary but worse still, it’s a world wide problem, not just the US.
Re Putin, I can bet my entire wardrobe that Trump is under Putin’s control. It seems clear as day to me. So good luck! I hope he doesn’t cause toooo much damage to your country while he’s running it! 🙂
Random interesting thoughts though…:)
His grandfather was kicked out of his region in Germany by a royal decree.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-grandfather-germany-letter-deportation-us-bavaria-dreamers-a7903071.html
He was a criminal and ran a brothel. That strain of nasty men using and abusing women in his genes. His father was a violent horrible racist crook, and so is he. It is a shameful family tree and a very dark one.
Friedreich’s letter is very obsequious and full of lies. Just like someone else we know.
Oprah hosted a round-table discussion on “60 Minutes” tonight regarding Donald Trump’s first year of presidency. It was really sickening to watch the Republican voters defend everything about Trump. The Republican voters on the show had the same traits as Trump has. Incredibly disturbing.
Trump was sent to military school because he tried to kill his brother.
Then at military school he tried to kill his roommate by pushing him out a window
So he’s been evil at least since he was a teenager.
I didn’t know that but I am not surprised. He has no capacity for empathy, a trait of a psychopath.
If trump is diagnosed with a personality disorder, then I am pretty sure those are considered to be with you when you are born.
Borderline personality disorder may be more likely arise in people who have been abused, but Trump isn’t considered to have borderline … he’s just your typical malignant narcissist or sociopath. In public life that translates well to authoritarianism.
@ Whoarethesepeople:
It’s just occurred to me that trump might actually have the most dangerous of all personalities called the Dark Triad Personality.
Dark Triad = Narcissism + Psychopathy + Machivellianism
I am 1,000% sure he suffers from the first two, but I’m not sure how Machiavellian you can be when you are as stupid as he is.
A narcissist with strong antisocial tendencies. His lack of empathy for death and his violence and his criminal lack of boundaries and criminal assaults are more than narcissism. Lack of complete empathy and his treatment of young women is antisocial. Prisons are full of them.
A psychologist wrote an article about him during the election, and it stuck in my head.
On that cover Andrew only needs long feathered hair and a sequined shirt and he could pass easily for a young Neil Diamond-that’s all I got
That’s true, in 15-20 years he could make a mean biopic.
I’ve seriously had that thought ,I like Andrew and even though I’m young I love Neil ❤️
I don’t know or really care exactly when Trump became evil. He’s evil now.
I think nature vs nurture is an important discussion to have, because if we can’t see where evil comes from, how can we stop it? If being a deplorable psycho it is learned behavior, then we can use that knowledge to make sure that other people don’t learn how to be deplorable psychos as well.
With most nature-nurture issues, it appears to be both — nature’s way of making humans very adaptable to the environment. The problem is that a malignant, enabling environment takes whatever predisposition exists to cruelty and lets it run free. Trump was just rich, clever and entitled enough to learn to exploit a corrupt and racist system as he came of age – and the same for the corrupted electoral system in the U.S.
I think a person is born evil or at least without a conscience. Many people are born with sociopathic tendencies but learn to hide them so as to function in society. I read an article fairly recently on the subject that claimed that an alarmingly high percentage of so called seemingly “normal” people fall into this category. They simply were born without the ability to care about others.
I have studied some psychology years ago when getting my nursing degree.The teaching that I was given stated clearly by my professor was that approximately 5%of our population are born without any real conscious,like they really don’t get that lying is wrong or why,and people in this small percentage also don’t have any empathy,these are the same people who don’t see anything wrong with killing or wounding an animal ;for example.They see only their way,they lie all the time and are so far gone that they truly believe their lies ,and the rest of the world damn it!Are wrong…
No honey.. he was born that way. And I don’t care… he has to go regardless.
VOTE IN 2018 and 2020.. If you don’t then STFU and STFD.. that is all that matters. VOTE
And vote at any election, no matter how local.
If there is an election for a streetcorner, make sure to vote Democrat.
Yes!!!
Oh ffs. Trump is a tool, a blowhard, a complete jackass to almost everyone and has been for decades. Born evil? No. An asshole? Yes. Totally.
Are we going to talk about Melania refusing to hold his hand again?
Saw that. Loved it.
I like that she doesn’t put up with all the shit he has thrown at her.
And I wonder what those women who voted for him because “Christian!” and “Family values!” now think of their vote.
Melania does put up with him by staying with him and what’s more exposing her son to his rejection and pathology.
Women who voted for him don’t care as long as the Court makes life harder for the people they hate.
As far as I’m concerned, the presidency has brought out the WORST in Donald Trump. Whether or not he was evil at birth is a distinction without a difference to me because he is A POS