Andrew Garfield reveals that he will be taking a break from acting after starring in Under the Banner of Heaven. After receiving widespread critical acclaim for his role in 2010’s The Social Network, Garfield went on to become one of the most recognizable actors working today with his appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man. The 38-year-old actor has since reprised his role for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and, most recently, in the MCU smash-hit Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Garfield’s latest project, a miniseries called Under the Banner of Heaven, tells the story of a religious detective whose faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder seemingly perpetrated by followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Based on the book Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, the series is directed by David McKenzie and written by Dustin Lance Black. Initial trailers for Under the Banner of Heaven tease particularly heavy subject matter and an intense dramatic turn from Garfield as Detective Pyre. In addition to Garfield, the series also stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Rohan Mead, and Taylor St. Pierre, and premieres on FX on April 27th.
In a new interview with Variety, Garfield reveals that, following Under the Banner of Heaven, he’s looking to take a break from acting. The actor explains that he just wants to “be a bit ordinary for a while” and claims that he needs time to “recalibrate” after the stressful awards season and his nomination for Best Actor for tick, tick…BOOM! Check out Garfield’s full comment below:
“I’m going to rest for a little bit. I need to recalibrate and reconsider what I want to do next and who I want to be and just be a bit of a person for a while. Because as you know, that is a washing machine, that awards season. I need to just be a bit ordinary for a while.”
Between his highly-discussed return as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the subsequent fan demands for a third Amazing Spider-Man film, his Oscar campaign for tick, tick…BOOM!, and the intense and often disturbing subject matter in Under the Banner of Heaven, it’s no surprise the actor is looking for a break. Garfield doesn’t reveal exactly how long of a break he’s looking to take but, according to his IMDb, Garfield is still slated to appear in Brideshead Revisited alongside Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchet at some point this year.
Garfield’s comment marks something of a trend for Spider-Man actors of late, with Tom Holland also expressing a desire to take a bit of a break from acting following the shooting of his new show for Apple TV+, The Crowded Room. Garfield has definitely been busy for the last few years and, like Holland, it’s certainly understandable that the actor would want to take a break for a while. It’s not clear exactly when Garfield will be returning to the world of acting or if fans will get their wish for an Amazing Spider-Man 3, but, for now, audiences can catch him in Under the Banner of Heaven, which premieres on Hulu on April 28.
