Andrew Garfield’s view of Sam Altman shifted dramatically once he researched the OpenAI CEO for Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial film.
His first impression came from watching Altman testify before Congress. “I remember seeing Sam testifying to Congress for the first time, way back when. I was like, ‘This guy seems fucking great.
He’s honest. He’s transparent. He’s talking about regulation, and he has no stake in OpenAI.
We need more of these people in control. He’s incredibly charming and charismatic.’ And then you learn more about a person,” according to Variety. The actor made his remarks at the film‘s world premiere at the New York Film Festival on Monday.s honest.
He’s transparent.
The actor made his remarks at the film’s world premiere at the New York Film Festival on Monday.
How Andrew Garfield Prepared To Play Sam Altman
Garfield spent months listening to and watching footage of Altman to build the performance. “There’s a lot of research, there’s a lot of footage, there’s a lot of information,” he said, according to Deadline. That immersion led him to characterize his on-screen Altman as calculating, manipulative and nihilistic, a danger to humanity with doe eyes and a mincing walk.
Taking on a prominent, active figure weighed on Garfield. “There’s such a heavy responsibility … playing a live person. I feel a tremendous amount of compassion for what that must [be] like.”
Why Garfield Wanted The Film To Push Further
Garfield made clear he sees Artificial as a necessary act of scrutiny toward the people steering powerful technology, even as he wished the final cut had gone further. “I wish we could give it even more teeth in a way. We need to shine the light as bright as possible at the nooks and crannies of people we’re giving all of our autonomy and power to,” he told Variety.
Director Luca Guadagnino worked within legal and accuracy constraints on set. Some scenes were toned down after legal flagged them as hyperbolic, while others were added or expanded based on new public information. Primary sources visited the set during filming for color and accuracy.
What Artificial Is About
The film centers on the five-day period in November 2023 when Altman was suddenly fired as OpenAI’s CEO, sending the company into chaos before his reinstatement days later. Microsoft became involved, and OpenAI employees threatened to leave. The film also traces back to OpenAI’s 2015 nonprofit founding, with other figures including Ilya Sutskever, Elon Musk and Greg Brockman.
What’s Next For Artificial
Artificial arrives in theaters on Dec. 25.
Reporting from Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Polygon contributed to this story.
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