Andrew Garfield has revealed a teacher made him vomit after force feeding him school dinners, forcing him to hide in toilets as a child.
The 43 year old actor recalled his brutal primary school meal experiences during an appearance on the Dish podcast, hosted by radio presenter Nick Grimshaw and chef Angela Hartnett.
Garfield explained that the childhood ordeal left him with a lasting aversion to loose sweetcorn, although he remains fond of eating corn on the cob with butter.
He told the podcast hosts: "School dinners have f****d everyone up to a certain degree I think. Yeah... So, I can't have corn off the cob. On the cob is one thing. On the cob is actually one of my favourite things. With a lot of butter. Off the cob, I can't do it."
Recalling the specific incident with his primary school teacher, Garfield added: "It's a pure, like visceral association with I think... like I vomited on a teacher. Who force-fed me some of these things one day at school. I would hide in the toilet to not have to eat my primary school lunches. It was brutal."
He further likened the experience to torture, saying: "It's like a version of waterboarding but with like mashed potato and loose sweetcorn."
His gross revelation left Grimshaw and Hartnett in stitches as they struggled to compose themselves on the show, which is published on all podcast providers as Dish from Waitrose.
Garfield is a British-American actor who rose to global prominence as Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network and Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man, earning Oscar nominations for Hacksaw Ridge and Tick, Tick... Boom!
School dinner trauma on Dish podcast
His appearance on the podcast comes as Garfield emerges as a major contender for the Best Supporting Actor award at the upcoming Oscars for his performance in Artificial.
Directed by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Artificial is a dark comedy focusing on the controversial firing and rehiring of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman in 2023.
OpenAI is the American artificial intelligence research firm behind ChatGPT, while Guadagnino is known for directing acclaimed films including Call Me by Your Name and Challengers.
Following its premiere at the 64th New York Film Festival, critics lauded the movie on social media as Guadagnino's best work in a decade, praising its gutting of Silicon Valley culture.
Oscar buzz for Sam Altman role
Film writer Greg Pomes praised the feature on X, writing: "Have another screening to go to so a longer review will come later but I absolutely loved Luca Guadagnino's #Artificial It's an intimate character study but on a huge scale. The cast is amazing. Andrew Garfield fully becomes Sam Altman. Monica Barbaro is excellent as always. Yura Borisov is the real star here. This is the real sequel to The Social Network."
Social media critic Nicole's Film Perspectives tweeted: "'Artificial' is an intense delivery of Guadagnino's talents that I truly enjoyed. Haunting yet alarming would be the best way to tease this film. Garfield unfolds into a terrifying role that left me floored. I've been anticipating Borisov in this film and he excels. There's a curtain that unveils with this tale that makes it one of my favourites at #NYFF64 +Albarn's score is phenomenal."
Variety social editor Antonio Ferme posted: "ARTIFICIAL feels like the proper sequel to THE SOCIAL NETWORK. It's a human story about the blinding nature of desire. Andrew nailed Sam Altman's charismatic yet manipulative demeanor. Ike as Elon will be beloved. Yura Borisov is the heart 'n soul of the whole film. FEEL THE AGI."
Producer Eric Kohn posted on social media: "ARTIFICIAL is a pitch-perfect dark comedy about the absence of responsibility in the face of apocalyptic certainty. Andrew Garfield walks a fine line between movie monster, buffoonish mogul, and evil genius. A fun/scary ride that embodies the paradox at its center."
Commentator Jairo Jiminez tweeted: "Andrew Garfield is terrifyingly precise in ARTIFICIAL. He captures Sam Altman's chillingly polite, messianic aura in a brilliant balancing act of manic genius and corporate coldness. Absolutely electric!"
Critical acclaim from New York premiere
Matt Neglia, editor-in-chief of Next Best Picture, wrote: "ARTIFICIAL is Luca Guadagnino's telling of the origins of the AI boom and where it may one day lead us. As entertaining as it is terrifying, it's a brilliantly written human story about power, control, ambition, and greed that might be the most urgently relevant film of our time."
Neglia continued: "Andrew Garfield delivers one of his most unsettling and transformative performances as Sam Altman, equally capturing his disarming charm and unnerving malice. Yura Borisov is magnificent as the brilliant mind behind OpenAI, wrestling with the moral implications of the creation he has helped unleash upon the world with intelligence and empathy."
Neglia added: "Damon Albarn's electronic, atmospheric score perfectly sets the mood for this tech-driven narrative, while Guadagnino's cinematic flourishes are bountiful, resulting in what may be his funniest and scariest film to date. Provocative, engaging, and downright horrifying, it's the movie of the moment that we may not even be able to look back on if the vision of the future it presents comes true."
Official reviews have been equally enthusiastic about Garfield's work, with Deadline critic Pete Hammond writing: "Garfield is stunning here, creating a portrait of a guy who changes his story depending on whoever he happens to be talking to. This is a man who is not the genius behind AI, but someone who recognized it in Sutskever and would do anything to use him for his own questionable actions."
Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney noted: "Garfield plays Sam as a charming villain, capable of talking himself back into the leadership position even after he has been fired by the board for shady dealings."
Reviews and awards campaign push
In The Guardian, Owen Myers awarded the film three stars, writing: "Garfield is brilliantly slimy, nailing Altman's evolution from demon twink to a narcissistic grifter with a victim complex that climaxes with him being fired as the CEO of OpenAI and then rehired five days later."
Zachary Lee wrote in The Wrap: "If its tonal unevenness sometimes undercuts its urgency, it's still an engrossing lament that we're forever doomed to repeat our mistakes - until, that is, we're literally doomed."
Screen International critic Tim Grierson offered a less favorable view, writing: "Although the picture taps into the anger and anxiety surrounding AI, Simon Rich's screenplay fails to offer any real insight into the deeply flawed humans who have gotten obscenely rich foisting this volatile technology upon the world."
The reception comes as production company Neon launches its awards season push, with initial reports indicating plans to push both Garfield and Mark Rylance for Supporting Actor nominations.
Variety subsequently reported that Neon has decided to push Garfield for Best Supporting Actor, while Yura Borisov, who portrays OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, will be submitted for Best Leading Actor.
Preparation for portraying tech mogul
Garfield revealed that he never met Sam Altman directly while preparing for Artificial, spending two to three months watching and listening to archival footage instead.
He told Variety that emerging news stories regarding the potential dangers of artificial intelligence during production influenced his performance.
Reflecting on the film's themes, Garfield said: "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."
The Academy Awards are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with official Oscar nominations scheduled to be announced early next year.
