Andrew Garfield faces backlash after telling billionaires to be ‘scared’ of his new movie
Actor Andrew Garfield has drawn online criticism after telling billionaires he hoped they would be frightened by his new film, "The Uprising," a historical action drama about England's 1381 Peasants' Revolt. Speaking at a Los Angeles screening alongside director Paul Greengrass, Garfield said he hoped audiences would feel their own struggles reflected in those of the film's characters, adding that he hoped any watching billionaires would be "scared sh–less." The comment quickly attracted mockery given Garfield's own wealth and Hollywood success.
Critics, including former LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt and a Tablet Magazine executive, accused Garfield of hypocrisy, noting he was reportedly paid around $5 million to play billionaire Sam Altman in the film "Artificial" and that wealthy backers fund the very productions he stars in. Others, including a Virginia pastor and a Substack columnist, dismissed the remarks as out-of-touch "socialist" posturing from a multi-millionaire star. "The Uprising" depicts the aftermath of the Black Death, when heavy taxation to fund the Hundred Years' War drove impoverished commoners to revolt, with Garfield playing a fictional character alongside Cosmo Jarvis as rebel leader Wat Tyler. Neither Garfield nor Greengrass responded to requests for comment.
In short
- Andrew Garfield told billionaires to be "scared" of his new film
- Critics called him hypocritical given his own wealth and film pay
- Film "The Uprising" depicts England's 1381 Peasants' Revolt
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Garfield’s remark can be understood as support for a film about people resisting severe inequality and burdens imposed by powerful elites. An actor’s wealth does not necessarily prevent him from drawing attention to those themes, and his hope that the film unsettles billionaires may be rhetorical provocation rather than a claim to speak for the poor.
The case against
Critics can reasonably see a gap between Garfield’s anti-billionaire rhetoric and his position as a highly paid star in an industry financed by wealthy interests. That tension may make the comment seem performative or out of touch, especially if it condemns wealth in general without acknowledging his own success or the system that benefits him.
Explained simply
England’s Peasants’ Revolt began in 1381, amid hardship following the Black Death and anger over taxes used to fund the war with France. Rebels, including those led by Wat Tyler, challenged the authorities; the uprising was put down.
The Uprising is a historical drama set during that revolt, with Andrew Garfield playing a fictional character and Cosmo Jarvis portraying Tyler. The film’s subject connects a medieval protest against inequality and taxation with present-day debates about wealth and power.
Garfield is a successful Hollywood actor, and his comments about how billionaires might react to the film prompted criticism focused on his own wealth and the industry’s wealthy backers. The dispute raises questions about how audiences judge public statements made by actors whose careers depend on commercial film-making.