A Hero Is Born

His cinematic career threatened to stall after his premature release from the perpetually rebooting Spider-Man franchise, but with his newest roles portraying principled real-life figures, Andrew Garfield has not only seen his stock rise in the world of cinema, but has found a higher purpose in his work that echoes his own spiritual journey…
W hen it comes to some actors’ careers, there often appears a moment in which that star ‘came of age’ on the silver screen. For Andrew Garfield, it seems that this transformation from cinematic novice to Hollywood stalwart can be attributed to two epic productions: Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge – documenting the outstanding efforts of the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honour – and Martin Scorsese’s thoughtful tour de force Silence, following the plight of two Jesuit priests who risk capture and torture as they attempt to find their mentor in 17th- century Japan.

It’s a far cry from the fresh-faced actor who in 2015 had the p...