Andrew Garfield Reflects on His First Movie Role, and the Unexpected Way Robert Redford Put Him at Ease

Before Andrew Garfield became a two-time Oscar nominee, he was a nervous 23-year-old walking onto his very first film set, opposite Robert Redford, no less.

Andrew Garfield’s very first film role was opposite Hollywood heavyweights Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Naturally, the then-23-year-old actor was anxious.

Andrew Garfield and Robert Redford introducing the film, "Lions for Lambs" during the AFI FEST 2007 | Source: Getty Images

In the September 29 episode of “Good Hang with Amy Poehler,” the Oscar nominee opened up about that experience and how Redford actually helped ease his nervousness.

Garfield was fresh from drama school and had only worked in theater when he landed a part in 2007’s “Lions for Lambs.” "I don't know what I was telling myself," he said, recalling how nervous he was walking into the film set for the first time.

"I'm terrified and nervous and pinching myself," Garfield recalled. But when Redford, who was both starring and directing the film, arrived late, “four hours late” to be exact, according to Garfield, his anxiety turned into anger. “It’s just like by that time… I’m just angry,” he said.

Andrew Garfield arrives at the AFI FEST 2007 presented by Audi for the opening night of "Lions for Lambs" in November 1, 2007 | Source: Getty Images

Garfield, whose fear had turned to frustration by then, recalled Redford being unbothered by his tardiness. "He wasn't aware that he was late," Garfield said, adding, "He was just on his own Redford time."

At that moment, Poehler tried to poke fun at the situation, saying, "Well, God is fair. I mean, he's so handsome there's got to be something wrong with him."

But beyond his first impression of the film icon, Garfield said Redford respected him and his ideas on set, asking for his input and getting his opinion after shooting a scene. As a newcomer to the industry, the actor said, "He made me feel like it was my set and made me feel like I was an equal and like he knew it was my first movie."

In the end, Garfield was just in awe of Redford, saying, “He was so nice. He was so beautiful.”

Robert Redford during the premiere for "Lions For Lambs" on October 25, 2007 in Paris, France | Source: Getty Images

Set against the backdrop of the Afghanistan war, “Lions for Lambs” follows three separate storylines: a pair of soldiers stranded behind enemy lines, f two American soldiers on the battlefield, a politician pitching a new military strategy to a wary reporter, and a professor pushing his apathetic student to engage with the world beyond himself. Garfield played the student, and Redford starred as the professor.

Before “Lions for Lambs,” Garfield was unsure if he would have a career in film. He thought he would only be confined to theater, with the occasional commercial jobs (such as a Doritos commercial he did) to tide him over. Now two decades later, he’s a two-time Oscar nominee.

Andrew Garfield at the Los Angeles premiere of "The Uprising" on September 2, 2026 | Source: Getty Images

Garfield is currently starring in “The Uprising,” a film directed by Paul Greengrass and set during England's 1381 Peasants' Revolt. In the same conversation with Poehler, he described the film as a visceral story about violence, power, and whether real change can happen without it.