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NEW YORK − No, you’re not seeing double.
Andrew Garfield does, in fact, play two characters in “We Live in Time” (in theaters now), which is directed by John Crowley (“Brooklyn”). The Oscar nominee stars in the time-hopping romantic drama as Tobias, a cereal salesman who falls helplessly in love with a world-class chef named Almut (Florence Pugh). When we first meet Almut, she’s told that her aggressive ovarian cancer has returned. Not wanting to spend her final months in and out of hospital rooms, she decides to forego treatment and instead train for an elite cooking competition.
Near the end of the movie, Almut and Tobias fly to Italy for the prestigious culinary event. As she takes a brisk solo jog outside, eagle-eyed viewers might catch a (very brief) glimpse of a street cleaner with a striking resemblance to Garfield. That’s because the actor insisted on a cameo as someone else.
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It was one of the last sequences shot for “We Live in Time” last year. Garfield had already finished filming his scenes as Tobias in the U.K., and wanted to travel to Italy with the rest of the cast and crew so they could keep spending time together.
Even now, “I’m still coming out of character,” Garfield jokes. “It was honestly so much fun. I just love that stupid stuff. And it was so nice being with everybody, because my last scene was in London and I wasn’t needed – until we realized I was needed to play Street Cleaner No. 2 in Italy. (Laughs.)
“It was just so nice. I wanted to close out the film with everyone, just because it had been such a special experience. So it was lovely to be there and just hang out with Flo. It was a really sweet time, I wouldn’t have missed it.”
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Garfield, 41, came up with a whole backstory for the street sweeper, including a name.
“Fernando,” Garfield says wryly. “He had a lot of sadness in his soul, but he had a band on the side with his friends. He had a lot of talent, but he didn’t have the courage to really pursue it. So, you know, he needed to make money and he took a job as a street cleaner.”
“Did he play bass?” Pugh asks, seated with her co-star at a SoHo hotel last month.
“No, he was lead singer,” Garfield adds. “He was a great, brooding frontman. Charismatic, but frustrated.” (“You could tell with the brushing!” Pugh riffs.)
Crowley insists that Garfield’s cameo is very hard to spot, given that Almut runs past other custodians on her route.
After watching the film, “Andrew said, ‘Did you cut me out?’ ” Crowley recalls. “I did not! He went very deep into that character, although it’s very fast. I don’t think anybody would be able to tell which of the street cleaners is Andrew. But if you can, you’ll get a prize.”
