Today, Andrew Garfield is a celebrated actor and, for many fans, the saving grace of The Amazing Spider-Man duology. However, his path to earning Oscar nominations was shaped by rebellion. The 41-year-old’s father had wanted him to become a gold medal-winning athlete at all costs. So, despite quitting gymnastics, Garfield was pushed to take up swimming.

Speaking to Esquire, the Hacksaw Ridge actor said his father’s “value system” had nearly robbed him of his childhood. It was “success and gold medals above any sense of joy, comfort, or pleasure.” Yet, Garfield didn’t gain his freedom from that system, as his father, a swimming coach, got him into the sport. Little did the then-aspiring actor know that those swimming lessons would come in handy decades later.

Andrew Garfield’s critically acclaimed portrayal of the late playwright Jonathan Larson earned widespread praise. Interestingly, swimming was one of Larson’s favorite hobbies. So, director Lin-Manuel Miranda initially hired stuntmen to film a crucial swimming scene for the movie. In this scene, swimming acts as the catalyst that reignites Larson’s creativity. However, Miranda was in for a massive surprise.

“Miranda says he discovered that Garfield was ‘the Michael Phelps of Hollywood’ during a swimming scene in tick, tick… Boom! When he was faster than the stunt double,” revealed Esquire in their Garfield interview. While the Amazing Spider-Man actor didn’t fulfill his father’s wish to become a competitive athlete, his natural athleticism remained intact.

While Andrew Garfield never desired to compete in sports, he didn’t despise them either. It was his father’s relentless pressure that drove him away from competitive athletics. However, after breaking free from those expectations, Garfield began to enjoy sports again. Fellow Hollywood star Jamie Dornan revealed Garfield’s talent in activities like skateboarding, surfing, and basketball. A key moment showcasing Garfield’s renewed appreciation for sports came in 2022.

When Andrew Garfield took inspiration from Simone Biles

After the success of projects such as Tick, Tick … Boom!, and fulfilling the deeply personal goal of earning a Tony Award, for starring in Angels in America, Garfield wanted a break. During his conversation with PEOPLE, the Spider-Man: No Way Home actor mentioned Simone Biles. “I’m very inspired by Simone Biles,” the actor told PEOPLE.

“I’m very inspired by her saying, nope, I’m not going to do that vault, I’m going to endanger myself if I vault today. I find that really an incredible example,” the actor said while discussing his sabbatical plans. Biles’ bold act of pulling out of the Olympic vault finals and her subsequent championing of mental health moved the actor. In fact, it was mental health that caused him to rebel against his father.

When Garfield trained to become a competitive gymnast, his trainer would sit on his back during splits. While that may have improved his flexibility, it was a blow to the actor’s mental health. “This is not a childhood,” Garfield recalled while speaking to Esquire. So despite being a talented gymnast and the Michael Phelps of Hollywood, the actor chose to follow his passion.

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