Andrew Garfield says he never saw Sam Altman while filming Artificial, despite the OpenAI CEO’s account that he waved at the actor outside his San Francisco home. Garfield, who plays Altman in the film, told GQ he was confused by the story and had no interaction with him.
“I never had any interaction with him. I’ve never seen him in real life,” Garfield said. He recalled that the production shot outside Altman’s house on a day when crew members were told Altman was not home. Garfield said he saw a security guard, but not the CEO, and suggested Altman may have mistaken someone else for him.
Altman previously told Vanity Fair that he encountered a man dressed like him, carrying the same type of backpack and walking in a similar way, while heading out for coffee. He said he realized the person was Garfield and that they waved before continuing on. Altman described the encounter as strange, adding that the actor had captured his mannerisms.
Written by Simon Rich and directed by Luca Guadagnino, Artificial centers on Altman’s firing and rehiring by OpenAI’s board within five days in November 2023. The cast also includes Yura Borisov, Monica Barbaro, Cooper Hoffman, Ike Barinholtz, Jason Schwartzman, Chris O’Dowd, Mark Rylance, Zosia Mamet, Cooper Koch and Billie Lourd.
Sources: Deadline.