Andrew Garfield Said He Used To Get "Very High" And Practice Tobey Maguire's "Spider-Man" Lines During Drama School

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Years before Tom Holland's Spider-Man debut, the Marvel superhero whose story spawned multiple 21st century film franchises was played by this guy, Andrew Garfield.

Columbia Pictures / Via media.giphy.com

I am joking, of course, as Andrew is a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Tony Award winner who recently earned the second Oscar nomination of his career for Tick, Tick... Boom!

A closeup of Andrew wearing a suit
Bruce Glikas / Bruce Glikas / Getty Images

His leading role in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man, opposite Emma Stone, is probably the one most of us remember when thinking back on Andrew's rise to global mega-fame. It came a decade after Tobey Maguire originated the part in 2002.

  David M. Benett / Dave Benett / Getty Images for Netflix, Christian Jentz / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
David M. Benett / Dave Benett / Getty Images for Netflix, Christian Jentz / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Well, call it fate, conscious manifestation, or good old-fashioned practice, but it sounds like Andrew was already preparing for Spider-Man while pursuing his undergraduate degree in the early 2000s.

  Amanda Edwards / Getty Images
Amanda Edwards / Getty Images

To be clear, Andrew used to get stoned and recite Tobey's Spider-Man lines as a student at University of London's drama school. He recalled the preemptive rehearsal routine during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

  Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images for GQ
Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images for GQ

"I would practice his lines in the mirror when I was in drama school," Andrew recalled. "I was very high at the time."

The Eyes of Tammy Faye star went on to note that his friend, Terry McGinnis — Bruce Wayne's fictional Batman successor in DC Comics? — would "crack up" over his private performances.

  BBC / Via youtube.com
BBC / Via youtube.com

"[He] would look at me like, 'Yeah, you'll never play Spider-Man, Andy,'" said Andrew. "And then here we are."

  BBC / Via youtube.com
BBC / Via youtube.com

Andrew, who recently made a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Tobey, shared more about how the actor's legacy inspired him. It was actually Tobey signing on to No Way Home that encouraged Andrew to do the same.

  Rich Polk / Getty Images for Deadline
Rich Polk / Getty Images for Deadline

"He's my Spider-Man," Andrew said. "I was like, 'Well, if Tobey's doing it, I've got to do it.'"

  Columbia Pictures / BBC / Via youtube.com
Columbia Pictures / BBC / Via youtube.com

You can watch Andrew's interview here or in the clip above.