Andrew Garfield feels 'guilt' about not settling down and starting a family by 40

Andrew Garfield has said he feels ‘some guilt’ about not settling down and having kids before turning 40.

The Spider-Man star recently told GQ that although when he was younger he believed he’d be the ‘first to have kids and settle down’ within his group of friends, his career has meant that hasn’t happened.

Garfield went on to explain that releasing himself from the ‘societal obligation of procreating’ by the time he hit his fourth decade had been ‘interesting’.

Opening up about why things didn’t work out that way, the actor, who is set to turn 40 next year, told the publication: “Oh, God. Where do I start with why it didn’t happen? No, it’s more about accepting a different path than what was kind of expected of me from birth.

“Like, ‘By this time you will have done this, and you will have at least one child’ – that kind of thing. I think I have some guilt around that. And obviously it’s easier for me as a man…”

Elsewhere in the interview, Garfield revealed he would have loved his mother - who died in 2019 - to have had the chance to meet any future children, but said remains with him ‘in spirit’.

Rich Gold / Alamy Stock Photo

“Life seems to be a perpetual practice of letting shit go,” he said. “Letting go of an idea of how a thing should look, or be, or feel. And that one’s a big one, because of course I would’ve loved my mum to have met my kids, if I’m going to have kids. And she will. In spirit. She’ll be there for it. I know she’s there, for all the big ones.”

Garfield has previously been praised for his ‘beautiful’ approach to grief when speaking about his late mother.

Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo

During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in November last year, the actor briefly became emotional when asked about his mother’s death, before saying: “I love talking about it, so if I cry it’s only a beautiful thing.

“This is all the unexpressed love – the grief that will remain with us until we pass – because we never get enough time with each other. No matter if someone lives to 60, 15 or 99.

“So I hope this grief stays with me, because it’s all the unexpressed love that I didn’t get to tell her, and I told her every day. We all told her, she was the best of us.”