Andrew Garfield made his Broadway debut in Death of a Salesman Thursday. The actor, born in Los Angeles but raised in England, attempts to channel his inner-American for the part of Biff.
The starry production, with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Willy Loman, marks the fourth revival of the Arthur Miller classic. The pressure is on Mr. Garfield: the same role served as a breakthrough part for a young John Malkovich, who played Biff on Broadway in 1984 to critical acclaim.
Andrew recently spoke with The Wall Street Journal about playing one of theater’s explosive prodigal sons, donning the Spidey suit and finding an escape after a big guy squashed him.
What were some of the first steps you took to understand this character?
It’s an endless discovery process and that is wonderful because it means you’re always uncovering more and more and more and understanding more and more and more and then losing something and finding something. But then that also is a hassle because it would be nice if you could just be like, “I’m on stage saying my lines and now I can go off and go rest in my dressing room.” It’s not like that. It’s this constant wrestle, so I don’t understand the character fully and I never will, I don’t think, I hope.
Does living with such grim material for weeks take a psychic toll?
This play is painful. We all know it’s impossible to not be hurt by it, or exposed by it in some way, and to live in it for awhile is painful. But ultimately I think it teaches you about yourself and about people.
Have you and Philip Seymour Hoffman spent much time together off stage?
I kind of want to be around him all the time because he’s a guy that cares about the things that I care about. I’m aware of the pitfalls and the seduction [in the acting profession] and so I kind of want to cling on to him because he works hard and continues to work hard and is passionate and cares about the right things and just loves the discovery and loves the struggle and loves the challenge.
Has having a dual identity—an American dad and a British mom—helped you as an actor?
I feel identity with both cultures. I don’t feel like a phony doing this accent, I don’t feel like a phony doing a British accent. I feel at home in both places. It’s nice to know I can throw a football, luckily.
You can’t play the character of Biff and not be able to throw a football.
That was a worry, and some nights the spiral isn’t perfect, but that’s alright.
I’m sure you’ll get interesting audience members at “Death of a Salesman.”
Every night you know there’s someone in the audience you really want to impress. It’s really weird.
Who’s been to see it so far in previews?
I don’t know. Just a bunch of people that you wish hadn’t.
Source
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Back Roads (2012)
