Andrew Garfield has become a Hollywood household name thanks to his fresh take on Marvel’s iconic Spider-Man ​​​​​​and subsequent roles. Born in California but raised in the United Kingdom, Garfield’s hybrid origins and career path between borders built him for acting success. Getting his start in various roles on television, including an episode of Doctor Who, Andrew Garfield scored his first Hollywood feature film role, Lions For Lambs, starring Hollywood greats Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise in 2007.

Since then, his career only moved upward, getting major feature films and earning larger roles. Two years after his role in the Academy Award-winning film The Social Network, Andrew Garfield became The Amazing Spider-Man. Of course, this was a cornerstone moment for his fame and career, but one of his most powerful performances hailed from a seasoned Oscar-winning actor and director looking for a star that could tug at heartstrings.

Braveheart Director Mel Gibson Puts Andrew Garfield On The Front Lines Of WWII

Mel Gibson-Directed Films
Year

Man Without A Face
1993

Braveheart
1995

The Passion Of The Christ
2004

Apocalypto
2006

Hacksaw Ridge
2016

Despite his mid-career dips due to controversial statements, Oscar-winning Director and Actor Mel Gibson continues to make films and act in them with great success. His double win in 1995 for Braveheart spearheaded his inspiration to continue directing epic passion projects. The main wheelhouse in his style often pushes the boundaries of war and horrid violence over those who stand for peace and humanity. Gibson’s style and story choices have been criticized in the past, but these stylistic choices in his brutal storytelling are nonetheless impactful for the greater messages in his larger-than-life films.

Mel Gibson’s 2016 war film Hacksaw Ridge covers the true story of World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who, because of his faith as a Seventh-day Adventist, refused to kill anyone, but was determined to take part on the front lines. He became the first soldier in American history to receive a Medal of Honor without firing a single shot. To cast such a unique and earnest character, Mel Gibson knew he needed an actor who could turn heads and melt hearts amid the horrors of war all around him, and Andrew Garfield was the ideal choice.

Andrew Garfield Warms And Breaks Hearts With His Performance

Image via Lionsgate

Andrew Garfield was nominated for an Academy Award in 2017 for his performance but lost to Casey Affleck.
Hacksaw Ridge was filmed in North Carolina and Australia over 59 days.
Two more days of shooting were paid for out of Mel Gibson’s pocket to make sure it was completed properly.

Wading through mud and covered in blood, sweat, and tears, Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Desmond T. Doss won over audiences tenfold. Hacksaw Ridge grossed 180.5 million worldwide with only a 40 million dollar budget. This would mark an incredible success for Mel Gibson, who hadn’t made a film this size since his success with Apocalypto, 10 years before.

Although Andrew Garfield and Mel Gibson didn’t win Oscars, they did receive nominations and the film won two for editing and sound mixing. However, Garfield and Gibson did win awards for the film in the AACTA Awards, with Garfield also winning a Satellite award for his performance. Often, stars who get such a fame boost through a major comic franchise can easily be shunted into typecasting. Since Garfield’s extensive experience previous to his fame prepped him to take on dynamic roles and take risks, his casting in this film was a match made in cinema heaven.

The Merging of Styles Created A Heartfelt Film

Image via Lionsgate

Mel Gibson’s films never shy away from violent themes, especially surrounding historical conflicts.
Gibson is releasing Flight Risk soon and is currently working on the sequel to The Passion of the Christ.
Andrew Garfield is in the middle of four upcoming productions. He is rumored to be playing Jesus in one of these films.

Garfield’s career up to Hacksaw Ridge has seen a great deal of range with one particular element that connects them, a sense of earnestness. This is shown in spades as Peter Parker/Spiderman but shows throughout his performances previous to Spider-Man as well. Aside from his humble personality in interviews and talk shows, he continues to exhibit a palpable honesty in his emotions through each of the characters he plays. Some of this depth of performance also comes from working in theater, where conveying a character’s emotion is felt more personally between the audience and the actor.

This is probably a large reason why Mel Gibson gravitated towards him for the role. Gibson’s career as an actor showcased some truly heartbreaking and inspiring characters, especially in the films he also directed. His debut film as a director, Man Without A Face, was a commentary on society’s demonization of people through gossip, and Braveheart recounted the epic story of a man dead set on freeing his people from oppression. Mel’s constant gravitation towards heavier themes for his films makes it a breeding ground for heavy emotion and Oscar-worthy performances. It must have been a revelation to have Andrew Garfield headline Hacksaw Ridge with so much heart and humble grace while Gibson unleashed WWII hell around this historic hero with gusto. Between them, Hacksaw Ridge would become a grounding role for Garfield as he pursued more dynamic parts past the Marvel universe.