The actor shares his reflections on personal choices and the pain of losing his mother before starting a family
Andrew Garfield has candidly discussed the societal pressure he has felt throughout his life to settle down and have children before reaching 40. In a recent interview with British GQ, the 39-year-old actor expressed the struggle of accepting a path that diverges from societal expectations.
Reflecting on his life journey, Garfield admitted that releasing himself from the expectation of having children by the time he turned 40 has been a challenging process. “It’s about accepting a different path than what was kind of expected of me from birth,” he explained. “There’s this idea that by this time, you should have done this and have at least one child, and there’s a certain amount of guilt I carry around that.”
Garfield, who has been candid about his personal life in the past, also touched on the emotional difficulty of his mother Lynn’s death in 2019. He shared the heartache that his potential children will never have the opportunity to meet her. “I would’ve loved for my mum to meet my kids, if I ever have any,” Garfield reflected. “She will be there in spirit, though. I know she’s there for all the big moments, and that’s a comfort.”
Garfield’s mother passed away from pancreatic cancer just before he began filming The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and the actor explained that the grief of her passing remains a profound part of his life. “Life is a perpetual practice of letting go,” he said. “Letting go of how things should look or feel, and that’s a big one to let go of, but we carry on.”
As for his current relationship status, Garfield has remained private after recent reports speculated about his break-up and subsequent reconciliation with model Alyssa Miller. The actor has chosen not to publicly comment on these personal matters.
While reflecting on his future and his family, Garfield noted that life is unpredictable. “Life is in charge. We’ll see what happens. I’m curious,” he added.
The December/January issue of British GQ is available on newsstands and for digital download on Tuesday, 29 November.
