Andrew Garfield Says a Bully Helped Him Discover Spider-Man
While bullying can be traumatic for many, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ star Andrew Garfield said it helped him prepare for the web-slinging superhero role he would come to have.
In an interview with The Guardian, Garfield spoke about his sensitive side and how that, at first, was a problem for him when he was a child.
“I didn’t have this really abusive experience,” he admitted. “I had the general bullying experience where there was a kid who wasn’t very happy and he threw his weight around. He targeted me because I was skinny and thin-skinned and he knew it.”
Still, what started as trouble ended up being a learning experience for Garfield. As many school children do, he turned to comicbooks for an escape, which is where he found Spider-Man.
“Also, if it weren’t for that bully, I wouldn’t have found Spider-Man. That’s why I got so lost in the comics and the cartoon series. I would fantasize about being him, and I would fantasize about him coming to beat the crap out of my bully.”
Garfield was born in Los Angeles, but raised in England. He’s not the only one in Hollywood who has come out to openly speak about their past experiences with bullying. Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Megan Fox and Miley Cyrus are only a few who have spoken publicly about being bullied in their younger years.
Today, though, Garfield is busy with “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ coming out, the sequel to the 2012 Spider-Man franchise reboot. Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti and Dane DeHann also star. The movie bows May 2.
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