Is ‘Andrew Garfield’ a Real-Life Mormon Detective? Let’s find out the truth. – ‘Under the Banner of Heaven,’ a crime series on FX on Hulu, is based on a true tale and follows Detective Jeb Pyre, a devout Mormon who investigates the double murder of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter Erica Lafferty. As the inquiry develops, Pyre encounters many suspects, leads, and events that cause him to doubt his faith and values.
Andrew Garfield (Detective Jeb Pyre), an Academy Award candidate, gives an outstanding performance as Pyre, particularly in terms of portraying the character’s internal difficulties. Fans of the actor must be wondering if Garfield is a Mormon himself since his performance captivates us. Here’s the solution!
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Is Andrew Garfield Really a Mormon Detective?
In real life, Andrew Garfield is not a Mormon. Garfield was raised in a religious household. Despite the fact that his father’s family is Jewish, he did not grow up Jewish. While he was growing up, Lynn’s mother was a pantheist, and his father was an atheist. Since he was a child, the actor has identified as a “spiritual seeker,” eventually describing himself as an “agnostic pantheist.”
Despite this, Garfield has always acknowledged his Jewish lineage, referring to himself as “a Jewish artist” in a December 2021 interview. In ‘Under the Banner of Heaven,’ Garfield had to rigorously prepare for his role as Jeb Pyre, a devout Mormon. ” I did a study trip to Utah and Salt Lake City, and I spent a lot of time with wonderful people: ex-Mormons, current Mormons, Mormon bishops, and these detectives,” Garfield said of his preparations to Entertainment Weekly.
“It was intriguing because — especially with ex-Mormons and their experiences — [they had] this growth of consciousness and openness to life, this free-falling into discovering that they contain multitudes,” he added.
Garfield’s dedication to the role of Pyre included reaching out to present and former members of the Mormon church, as well as Mormon police officers.
“It [consulting with current and former Mormons] puts flesh on the bone and fills me with the duty of making sure I’m going as deep as I possibly can; to know that someone out there at home is watching this and thinking, ‘That was my experience, and I feel seen.'” He told THR, “That feels important.”
Garfield was also able to consult with Dustin Lance Black, the show’s creator and a Mormon himself. Garfield learned about Mormonism through his preparation for Pyre and interpretation of the role. As someone who enjoys learning about new people and cultures, the opportunity to play a Mormon allowed him to do just that.
“I discovered that Mormonism has some true beauty in it, and I found a lot to appreciate about it: community, tenderness, softness, and family values.” But obviously, there are serious issues with it from my perspective, which I don’t feel compelled to discuss,” he told THR.
Garfield wasn’t the first actor to study religion and culture in preparation for his role as a Mormon. Garfield spent a year with Jesuit priest James Martin to prepare for his role as Sebastio Rodrigues/Okada San’emon in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence.’ Garfield’s passion to depicting his characters with respectable preparations demonstrates his enormous dedication.
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Although the investigator requested anonymity, which show producer Dustin Lance Black verified to Spiky TV, he proved to be an invaluable source for the actor.
“I was able to speak with someone in Utah who had gone through a similar experience,” Garfield added.
“He spoke to me on the condition of anonymity, but he was a Mormon detective working on a case that put his religion to the test.” He offered me a lot of insight into a tragic case that had parallels to the early days of Mormonism.”
“His struggle with his faith while working on this case was the skin on the bone for me in terms of having Jeb feel like a real human being going through something that humans go through.”
“With this guy, I managed to create an exceptionally profound relationship.”
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BOOM! The tick, tick… The celebrity went on to say that he wanted to be a part of the brutal true-crime drama since it was the furthest thing he could find from a musical.
“I really wanted to be a part of telling the tale, being a part of this ensemble,” Garfield added. “I love the book, I love Dustin Lance Black, I love this cast of performers, and for me…the attraction of playing the part was that I’d never done anything like it before.”
“Recently, I’ve started performing a lot more physically expressive, emotionally expressive, dramatic characters,” he remarked.
“Being a more stern interior [character] was exciting for me; a Mormon investigator is the furthest thing from a musical theatre, exuberant writer.”
“That was an exciting muscle for me to work on to see if I could express a lot without saying a lot, and the struggle he goes through is amazing, it’s severe.”
“How can you be a man of integrity when, if you’re a man of integrity and you go off to search the truth, it’s probable you’ll lose everything that you hold dear?” Pyre said of his internal struggle to preserve his faith.
“How can you be that selfless, how do you sacrifice everything of your personal needs to serve something greater?”
“That strain that produces Jeb’s nervous breakdown is tremendously, really interesting to me.”
Hulu’s Under the Banner of Heaven airs on Thursdays.
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