Garfield Says Playing Altman Required Accessing Uncomfortable Parts of Himself
In an Esquire profile, Garfield said he never met Altman and based his performance on scripts, court transcripts, and research. He noted that anyone with such responsibility must have a certain ability to dissociate, and he had to confront aspects of himself he dislikes. He also declined to discuss his personal life, saying he will never talk about his reported girlfriend.
The film centers on the five-day OpenAI leadership crisis in which Altman was ousted and later reinstated as CEO. Garfield relied entirely on secondary sources—scripts, court transcripts, and interviews—since he never met the executive. His comments about dissociating from responsibility reflect the psychological demands of portraying a figure at the center of the AI debate.
Production history proved turbulent: Amazon MGM Studios developed and financed the project but dropped it after announcing a $50 billion partnership with OpenAI. Neon ultimately acquired distribution rights after Netflix, A24, and Focus Features reportedly passed. The studio plans a release later this year to qualify for Oscar consideration.
This story may resonate with audiences grappling with AI's rapid integration into daily life, as it dramatizes a real power struggle at a pivotal company. The film could shape public perception of Altman and tech leadership generally, prompting viewers to consider the ethical tradeoffs of technological progress. Garfield's refusal to discuss his personal life may also reinforce ongoing conversations about celebrity privacy boundaries in an era of intense media scrutiny.