Andrew Garfield laughing during an interview on The Daily Show
TV & Film

Andrew Garfield Cracks Up After ‘Daily Show’ Audience Groans at His Sam Altman Role

The actor couldn't stop laughing when the studio crowd audibly balked at his tech CEO gig.

BUZZBEAT NewsroomSep 11, 20262 min read

Andrew Garfield ran straight into an unexpected wall of crowd skepticism during a lively late-night television appearance this week. The acclaimed Hollywood actor stopped by *The Daily Show* on Thursday night to promote his intense new historical movie, *The Uprising*. However, the interview took an hilarious, unscripted turn the moment conversation shifted away from medieval history and toward modern tech CEOs. Guest host Michael Kosta opened the chat by complimenting Garfield's long-standing reputation for choosing deeply emotional and sympathetic characters on screen. But Kosta quickly flipped the script, pointing out a stark contrast in the star's recent acting lineup: his role portraying OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman. ## Why did The Daily Show audience react to Andrew Garfield playing Sam Altman? Before the Oscar-nominated actor could even begin to respond, audible gasps and suspicious groans echoed throughout the Comedy Central studio. The crowd's immediate side-eye caught the star completely off guard, causing Garfield to instantly break into laughter right on set. Rather than brushing off the icy reception, Garfield embraced the awkwardness. He cracked up on camera and even began playfully imitating the audience's stunned facial expressions right back at them. Kosta quickly jumped on the crowd's reaction, joking that the beloved actor may have just completely lost the audience's favor in a matter of seconds. Kosta pointed out that while most of Garfield's famous characters possess an empathetic vibe that viewers easily respond to, the controversial artificial intelligence executive doesn't feel like that kind of figure. "Hey, man!" Garfield laughed back in response, lightheartedly defending his decision to take on the tech titan. ## What is Andrew Garfield's new movie The Uprising about? The late-night broadcast was originally intended to focus on *The Uprising*, a drama based on true historical events from 1300s England. In the film, Garfield stars as the leader of a historic peasants' revolt rising up against the tyranny of King Richard II. While a medieval freedom fighter is an easy hero for moviegoers to root for, taking on the chief executive of ChatGPT clearly hit a sensitive nerve with the studio audience. Still, Garfield handled the hilarious roast like a total professional, proving he can take a joke when a live crowd gets surprisingly feisty.

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Andrew Garfield laughing during an interview on The Daily Show
Andrew Garfield and Sam Altman in the story: Andrew Garfield Cracks Up After ‘Daily Show’ Audience Groans at His Sam Altman Role

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People also ask

What role did Andrew Garfield play that surprised the Daily Show audience?
Garfield played OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, which drew audible gasps and groans from the live studio audience on The Daily Show.
What new movie was Andrew Garfield promoting on The Daily Show?
Garfield was promoting The Uprising, a historical drama centered on a 1300s peasant revolt against King Richard II in England.