As Andrew Garfield opens up about the death of his late mother, he’s praising his The Eyes of Tammy Faye family for helping him through the loss.
The 2x Oscar nominee recently said he was “really very grateful” for his time on the 2021 Tammy Faye Bakker biopic with co-star Jessica Chastain, who ultimately helped him get home to be with his mother Lynn in her final days before dying of pancreatic cancer.
“What was amazing was that [Searchlight Pictures‘ David Greenbaum] and Jessica rearranged the schedule last-minute — put filming on hold [in North Carolina] for a few days so that I could go back [to England] and be with my mom for 10 days,” Garfield told People.
Noting that he and Chastain would frequent the Bakkers’ former Christian theme park Heritage USA together while filming, Garfield added, “We would have deep conversations, because we were both getting to know each other as people. I’m really very grateful for that time with her because it was the time when my mum was really sick and ultimately passed away.”
Garfield also credited Vincent D’Onofrio, who played Jerry Falwell, with providing support in his time of need. “Because he had his own experience with a loss that he wasn’t able to make it back for, he said, ‘Go. You got to go.’ And I was like, ‘Well, I know I’ve got to go and thank you,’” he recalled.
Andrew Garfield as Jim Bakker and Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021). (Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
The British actor’s interview comes after he opened up about his mother and grief during a visit with Elmo on Sesame Street. “I’m happy to have all the memories of my mom and the joy she brought me, and the joy she brought my brother and my dad and everyone she ever met, everyone around her,” he said.
“So when I miss her, I remember, I remember it’s because she made me so happy,” added Garfield. “So I can celebrate her and I can miss her at the same time.”
Written by Abe Sylvia and directed by Michael Showalter, The Eyes of Tammy Faye charts Tammy Faye (Chastain) and husband Jim Bakker’s (Garfield) rise from a modest couple of faith in the 1970s to launching the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park. But Tammy Faye’s mission of love hits an unexpected roadblock caused by her husband’s controversies.