Last weekend was the Academy Awards, and it was jam packed of viral moments. Host Jimmy Kimmel made a number of jokes at Will Smith’s expense throughout the night, including his opening monologue. During that time he joked that various guests were part of his security, including recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Pedro Pascal, and Andrew Garfield. The latter actor went viral for making a funny face during this bit, and apparently there’s a whole story behind what happened.
During Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue at the Academy Awards, he told the various nominees to not get any ideas about walking on stage if they don’t like a joke he tells. A clear reference to Will Smith’s infamous slap, he claims that badass/action-heavy actors will serve as his security. But Andrew Garfield’s reaction got the most attention online, as he failed to strike a cool pose. As a reminder, you can check out the clip below courtesy of Twitter:
EVERYONE ELSE IS READY TO GO AND THEN THERE’S ANDREW GARFIELD REGRETTING EVERY DECISION HE’S EVER MADE IN HIS LIFE HELP pic.twitter.com/3wkGetL9rLMarch 13, 2023
And just like that, Andrew Garfield got a big laugh of his very own during Oscars night. What’s more, this clip has quickly gone viral online, as there are countless fans of the Spider-Man actor who make their voices known. That includes some who were hoping he’d win Best Actor last year for his performance in Tick, Tick… BOOM!
So exactly how did this viral moment come about for Andrew Garfield and the other celebrities who got close-ups during this section of Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue? Jimmy Kimmel Live executive producer (and Kimmel’s wife) Molly McNearney spoke to Variety about crafting that bit with the various A-listers, saying:
I went up to Michelle, Michael, Pedro, Andrew, Steven Spielberg, and we told them minutes before the show started, ’you’re going to be on camera, Jimmy’s going to refer to you as part of his security team. If you could just show some kind of physical support or give him a fist bump.’ They were all game and they were very supportive.
During this quick bit, we saw Michelle Yeoh striking a pose ala her various badass onscreen characters. Then The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pescal gives a look to the camera that he’s watching them. And while Andrew Garfield was originally asked to do the Spider-Man web shooter hands, he decided to instead look awkwardly into the camera. She said:
He made his own choice. Which I think was even better.
And that’s why he’s one of the greats. While Andrew Garfield doing Spider-Man fingers would have been funny enough, his variation on the bit created some unexpected comedy and a viral moment. No wonder so many people are always thirsting for him on social media.
It should be fascinating to see what comes next fro Andrew Garfield’s career. With an Oscar nomination on his resume and his return to the superhero genre in Spider-Man: No Way Home, plenty of people are talking about him. And there are fans who are hoping that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 actually comes to fruition after all these years. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
