Andrew Garfield reveals the advantage he's found in coping with his mother's passing
Not everyone should judge the depth of someone's grief, but Andrew Garfield's heartfelt and poetic expression of loss for his mother, Lynne, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2019, offers a shared experience and perhaps, a form of relief, to anyone going through similar heartache.
During an intimate discussion for the third season of the podcast "All There Is with Anderson Cooper", Garfield shared his mother's kind-hearted qualities, such as gentleness, kindness, and generosity. Even during her final moments on her hospice bed, Lynne's primary concern was for the nurses' well-being, displaying her selflessness.
In this gut-wrenching and emotional episode of "All There Is with Anderson Cooper", Garfield spoke about how grief now serves as the only way for him to maintain a connection with his mother again. "The wound is the only route to the gift," he said, emphasizing that enduring his grief and loss is the key to feeling close to his mother once more.
When Garfield discussed his mother's death during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" back in 2021, his candidness resonated with millions of viewers dealing with their own grief during the pandemic.
"I hope this grief stays with me, because it's all the unexpressed love that I didn't get to tell her, and I told her every day," Garfield said. "She was the best of us."
As the years have passed since his mother's passing, Garfield's grief has continued to accompany him, just as he had hoped.
"It's so weird. It's like the longing and the grief, fully accepting and feeling it, is the only way I can truly feel close to her again," Garfield told Cooper.
Garfield's mother, who appreciated his teenage angst and fostered his passion for the arts, was the one who encouraged him to pursue a career in the theater. Once he tried acting, which he likened to "joining the circus," he found his calling. From there on, he secured numerous film and television roles, even earning two Oscar nominations and starring in a renowned superhero franchise.
Garfield's latest venture, the emotional drama "We Live in Time", centers around grief once more. He stars alongside Florence Pugh as a couple grappling with a cancer diagnosis, navigating the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing every moment.
"There's an emerging understanding of time being transient and conditional, so every minute feels very sacred, whether it's a tiny or expansive moment. It's a meditation on the ephemeral nature of life and everything seems to be a scene of grief. It's heartrending, enlightening, and even furious in its resistance to the approaching end," Garfield said of the movie.
Garfield's spirit remains unshaken, although undeniably changed, as he adapts to his life without his cherished "mum."
"I recognize that this is a limited existence, and the things that mattered before no longer hold importance. Food tastes differently now due to the sorrow I've experienced, and they can also taste immeasurably sweeter. I can feel despair and hopelessness more profoundly, but I can also find a more profound well of hope," Garfield told Cooper.
Garfield finds solace in his friendships, nature, and the artistic path his mother encouraged him to take.
"Grief and loss are the only means to the vitality of life," Garfield said. "The pain is the only path to the gift."
Garfield's emotional performance in "We Live in Time" serves as a testament to his ongoing journey with grief, making it a poignant piece of entertainment for those dealing with loss.
Discussing his mother's influence on his career during an interview, Garfield highlighted the importance of entertainment in helping him process his feelings and connect with others going through similar experiences.
