Andrew Garfield is opening up about the challenge of portraying Sam Altman in the upcoming film «Artificial», admitting he has never met the OpenAI CEO and built his performance entirely from research. In a new interview with Esquire, the actor explained that he worked from the script, court transcripts, and interviews to craft his version of the tech leader, while acknowledging the weight of playing a figure whose decisions carry enormous consequences.
«I don't know this person, to be clear,» Garfield said. «I don't know Sam Altman. I've never met him. I was going off of the script and court transcripts and interviews and research, and we were telling a story, but I think anyone who takes on that level of responsibility for a company or a technology that you know is going to do a hell of a lot of damage to the soul of humanity [must have] a certain ability to dissociate.»
The actor also revealed that he is not always drawn to characters like Altman, partly because of his «from the inside out» acting process. Garfield explained that finding the essence of a character within himself means accessing deeper parts of his psyche that he might not like, what he described as «the shadow self» — a concept borrowed from Carl Jung. «The aspects of ourselves that we disown,» he said. «There's something there for me to integrate, because I'm so afraid of being it.»
Garfield then connected the idea of confronting one's darker impulses to broader political and social dynamics. He argued that rejecting uncomfortable parts of ourselves can have real-world consequences, pointing to the electoral success of figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage. «But then the argument is,» he said, «that if we weren't all less rejecting in the first place, less 'that's not us', then Donald Trump wouldn't have been voted in twice, and Nigel Farage wouldn't be anywhere near a position of power.»
He continued: «Whereas if we go, 'OK, interesting — where am I [in a] wannabe fascist, grifter, opportunist, power-hungry, ethic-less, spineless fucking pig?' We can identify that this is the bad part of us. We know this in ourselves.»
The comments offer a rare glimpse into Garfield's preparation for «Artificial», a film that dramatizes the rise of Altman and the controversies surrounding his leadership of OpenAI. The movie is expected to explore themes of ambition, technology, and the moral compromises that come with immense power. Garfield's remarks suggest the film will not shy away from difficult questions about the human cost of innovation.
«Artificial» is slated for release in 2026. Garfield's candid interview has already sparked discussion among fans and industry observers, with many praising his willingness to engage with the psychological complexity of his role. The actor's approach — grounded in research and self-examination — appears to be a deliberate departure from more conventional biopic performances, promising a nuanced take on one of the most polarizing figures in modern technology.