Exclusive: Andrew Garfield feels "very, very concerned" about "where we are as a society"

It's certainly been a busy year for Andrew Garfield, with The Magic Faraway Tree and Artificial coming to the big screen. Another major project is The Uprising, which sees him work alongside writer-director Paul Greengrass.

The period drama dramatises the events of the Peasants' Revolt from 1381, with Garfield playing a ploughman who joins John Ball (Jamie Bell) and Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) in rebelling against the establishment.

Though it may be set nearly 650 years ago, the film depicts themes that are very much pertinent in the modern age, with Garfield himself admitting that he was "concerned" with the direction that society was heading.

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Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy ahead of the film's release this week, the actor said: "As actors, storytellers and artists right now, we're looking to reflect our current times. That is, for me anyway, what feels most meaningful."

"Sure, it's 1381, but it feels like a long-distance mirror to our near tomorrow. I feel very, very concerned, like I think most of us do, about where we are as a society," added the star, who has also appeared in the Spider-Man franchise.

He noted the people who are "hoarding power" and "controlling who gets to have a good life and who doesn't", adding: "There's a different kind of oppression happening, but it's still oppression nonetheless. So I feel very passionate about this story."

With its hefty themes, Garfield shared that he had wanted to work with Greengrass for a very long time, saying: "I'm so lucky that I got to work with him on this because I feel like this film feels very personal and deeply emotional for him and for me.

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"I found the way he worked to be like a great football captain. He makes you want to get bloody, bruised, knocked about and muddy. You want to leave it all on the field for him. He's very encouraging, loving and kind," he added.

"He's asking you to do really difficult and intense things. I learned a lot from him about how to run a set, but also how to capture life. He's looking to place the audience in a documentary-style environment where you feel like you're in the action with these characters."

The Uprising is released in UK cinemas on 9 October.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
 

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.