Andrew Garfield, who portrays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in the upcoming film “Artificial,” has clarified that he has never met the tech mogul, despite Altman’s assertion that they exchanged waves during the film’s production. In a recent interview with GQ, Garfield expressed his confusion about Altman’s statement, insisting, “I never had any interaction with him. I’ve never seen him in real life.”
Clarifying the Confusion
Garfield responded to Altman’s anecdote and noted that he found it puzzling. “No, I saw that interview and I replayed it a few times to try and discern what he was actually saying, because I was very confused by that,” he stated. He elaborated, explaining that while filming outside Altman’s home, he was informed that the CEO was not present, and there were only security personnel on-site. “I think I saw one security guard. But, no, I never saw Sam, so he maybe mistook someone else for me. I have no idea, but I’ve never waved at Sam,” Garfield reiterated.
OpenAI’s Response
Garfield further clarified that he “didn’t have a body double,” which could have contributed to any mix-up. However, a representative from OpenAI contradicted this and maintained that Altman indeed waved at Garfield while the filming took place. Altman previously described the unusual encounter in an interview with Vanity Fair, recalling how the filming took him by surprise.
Altman’s First-Hand Account
Altman said, “There were these notices on our street that there was going to be some filming or whatever. I didn’t realize what was going on. I paid no attention. And then one morning, I was walking down the street to get coffee and there were all these cameras and there was a guy dressed exactly like me with my same backpack walking so much that I felt I was in some weird glitch of the simulation or something. It was very strange.” He recounted how they shared a brief wave, which he described as “really weird,” acknowledging how uncanny it was to see someone imitating his mannerisms.
Details About ‘Artificial’
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, “Artificial” is set for release on Christmas Day and delves into the tumultuous period when Altman was both fired and then rehired by OpenAI in 2023. The film features a strong cast, including Ike Barinholtz as co-founder Elon Musk, Monica Barbaro as former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, breakout star Yura Borisov as former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, and Mark Rylance as Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton.
