Andrew Garfield is a man of many talents. Over the years, he’s shown off his web-slinging abilities in The Amazing Spider-Man and his evangelical charisma in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. But when director Lin-Manuel Miranda asked Andrew Garfield to star in the film adaptation of Tick, Tick…Boom!, the former superhero had to master an entirely new skill: public singing.
In a recent conversation with Variety, Andrew Garfield discussed the unique challenges of filming a movie musical and singing in public. Was Andrew Garfield afraid of belting his heart out in front of a live audience? Sure - but that wasn’t about to stop him. He said:
For a long time, I’d been interested in singing, and I was always curious to see how far I could take it. I’m drawn to the potential for failure, and what we’re all able to achieve, and I think that’s a good fear to have as an actor. I felt like this was where I had to go.
Never let it be said that Andrew Garfield backs down from a challenge. Not only was Tick, Tick…Boom! his first foray into the realm of musical theatre, his role as Rent composer Jonathan Larson required him to sing lead parts in nearly every song. To prepare for filming, Andrew Garfield trained with multiple voice teachers for over a year and even learned to play piano. Compare that to the years of training most Broadway stars have under their belts, and you’ll have some idea of Andrew Garfield’s massive undertaking.
Despite his relative musical inexperience, Andrew Garfield had no trouble taking on a role that was out of his wheelhouse. It helped that he was surrounded by some of the industry’s top theatrical talent, including director and Hamilton composer Lin-Manuel Miranda. Andrew Garfield also attributed his adventurous spirit to the compelling story of Tick, Tick…Boom!. He said:
This project was one of those weird and wonderful ones where there was magic around it, simply because of who Jonathan was as a person, and how Lin directed it. Stepping outside of my comfort zone as an actor is something I’m always interested in doing.
One look at the reviews for Tick, Tick…BOOM! is all it takes to prove that Andrew Garfield’s gamble was well worth it. Critics were blown away by his portrayal of Jonathan Larson, and many fans are convinced that an Oscar nom is on the horizon. Whether he takes home the golden statuette or not, Andrew Garfield can walk away from Tick, Tick…BOOM! with a spring in his step and a song in his heart.
Tick, Tick…BOOM! is now available to stream on Netflix. Andrew Garfield stars alongside Robin de Jesús, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, and Joshua Henry.
