Why is Andrew Garfield taking "time off" from acting? Under the Banner of Heaven star credits several stars for his decision

2021 was a busy year for Andrew Garfield, and it wasn't just because he reprised his role as Spider-Man alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Garfield also appeared in The Eyes of Tammy Faye with Jessica Chastain and Netflix's Tick, Tick...BOOM! as Jonathan Larson, the creator of Rent.

While Garfield is currently appearing in the miniseries, Under the Banner of Heaven, he has revealed that he'll soon be taking a break from acting, and for good reason.

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Andrew Garfield to take some "time off" from acting

In a new interview with People, Andrew Garfield revealed his plan to take a break from acting after Under the Banner of Heaven. The actor explained that he just wants to "be a bit ordinary for a while." He added that needs time to "recalibrate" after the stressful awards season and his Best Actor nomination for Tick, Tick...BOOM!

“I’m actually really happy and excited to be very quiet and very still and take some time to just be..It feels very important right now, especially after a lot of output, a lot of being out in the world, and giving a lot of energy to things that I’m very passionate about, but I have to kind of refill the well so that I can carry on authentically carry on without it feeling like I have to keep up with the Joneses in some way.”

Garfield credited gymnast Simone Biles as an inspiration for the time off. He said,

“I’m very inspired by her saying, ‘Bope, I’m not going to do that vault. I’m going to endanger myself if I vault today.’ I find that really an incredible example.”

He also remarked that Kendrick Lamar’s hiatus played an important role in his decision.

“And Kendrick Lamar, who hasn't put out an album in a while, and I know he's got one coming out in the middle of May, which I'm so excited for, but I really admire anyone who can forego the temptation of having to be always on the up and up. Someone who can really be on their own rhythm, bang to the beat of their own drum."

Andrew Garfield always wants to put his best foot forward when it comes to projects.

"And I don’t know. Because honestly, if I pretended to know it would be a disservice to me and to an audience as well. So I want to make sure I make things that feel genuine and authentic to myself and hopefully connect in a deep way to an audience.”

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So, what are Andrew Garfield's next plans?

When asked what he would do during the time off, Garfield confidently replied,

“I hope that I can go on vacation. It’s more just, even getting on a plane right now feels like too much. I kind of want to lay down and just think and not think and watch other people’s work and just be really, really, really kind of… and listen to music and be with friends and eat burgers, you know, just kind of be a person.”

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Andrew Garfield's career

After receiving widespread critical acclaim for his performance in The Social Network (2010), Andrew Garfield has gone on to achieve major success in the industry. He is currently one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, owing to his lead role in The Amazing Spider-Man. He reprised his role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and, most recently, in the MCU smash hit, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Garfield's most recent project, a miniseries titled Under the Banner of Heaven, tells the story of a religious detective whose faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder that appears to have been committed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The series is directed by David McKenzie and written by Dustin Lance Black. It is based on the book Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith.

Initial trailers for Under the Banner of Heaven tease a particularly heinous subject matter as well as a dramatic and intense performance from Andrew Garfield as Detective Pyre. The series, which also stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Rohan Mead, and Taylor St. Pierre in addition to Garfield, will premiere on FX on April 27, 2022.