Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh Went Too Far in Their Intimate Scene in ‘We Live in Time’ That Made Things Awkward for the Cameraman

When actors get deep into their roles, the line between reality and fiction often blurs out. This can lead to some amazing and intense scenes on set. Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are two actors who are known for giving their parts the fullest effort.

Even in their latest movie, We Live in Time, their chemistry got so strong at times that it became difficult to separate the scene from real life. During one particular take, their devotion to the craft exposed them to an embarrassing situation, which became awkward for the crew members especially.

Awkward Love Scene Between Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh

We Live in Time is not just a typical romantic comedy. The movie is directed by John Crowley, and it is about two characters, Almut and Tobias, played by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. The film is an emotional journey from their first meeting to building a family to losses and struggles for survival.

But it’s a behind-the-scenes moment that has become the main focus of attention now. Garfield recently appeared in 92NY and talked about the first intimate scene shooting. He explained that the set was almost locked down, with only a few people allowed on the set.

The scene shows an intimate part of Garfield and Pugh’s relationship in the story. However, as things started to heat up while shooting, the actors went so deep into the zone that they did not hear the director saying ‘’cut.’’ Garfield said,

The director’s in another room next door. And so the scene becomes passionate and we get into it, as it were, and we go a little bit further than we were meant to because we didn’t hear ‘cut’ and it’s feeling safe. And we’re just kinda like, ‘Ok, we’ll just go into the next thing, we’ll let this progress, and we’ll just carry on.’

When the shot was not ending, the two actors felt something was wrong. Garfield admitted, 

And at a certain point, both of us, we’re both kind of telepathically saying to each other, ‘This definitely feels like a longer take.’ I look up, and in the corner is Stuart (cameraman) and our boom operator. Stuart has the camera by his side and he’s turned into the wall.

At that point, Garfield looked at the crew and saw that the camera operator and boom operator had turned around to face the wall to let the actors have their moment. Although the scene was taking longer than usual, Garfield said that both he and Pugh felt safe enough in that environment to keep going.

Andrew Garfield’s Personal Journey With We Live in Time

While the funny, steamy scene mishap may be getting all the attention, We Live in Time is so much more to Garfield than that. The actor claims that the film has saved him in some rough times in his life.

During the press conference held at San Sebastian, Garfield spoke about what he felt when he first read the script (via Variety).

I was in deep contemplation of the meaning of life. As always, but maybe more pronounced in that moment. I was thinking about life, death, love, meaning, time… standing at the age of 39 and 40, kind of a mid-life crisis, looking forward, looking backward, looking exactly where I am, and thinking, ‘What now?’

When asked about the “heroic” aspect of the characters, Garfield does not like to use the term ‘hero’ as a mere phrase. According to him, the characters are like representatives of the human spirit’s resilience. 

What I love about these two people is that they represent this strange, mysterious, undying, inexplicable want to live in the face of the most horrific heartache and loss.

Apart from the awkward situation of the intimate scene, shooting for We Live in Time was a very close story for Garfield. The film allowed him to explore his issues through his character and was like a therapeutic experience during a period he described as his mid-life crisis.

We Live in Time will be released in theaters on October 11, 2024.