Andrew Garfield Disputes Sam Altman's Story About 'Artificial' Encounter

Andrew Garfield is disputing one detail from Sam Altman‘s story about seeing the actor portray him in Artificial.

The 43-year-old actor plays the 41-year-old OpenAI CEO in director Luca Guadagnino‘s upcoming movie, which dramatizes the five-day period in 2023 when Sam was removed as CEO of OpenAI before returning days later.

Earlier this week, Sam claimed that he unexpectedly saw Andrew filming outside his home and that the two waved at each other.

Now, Andrew says he does not remember that happening.

What Did Andrew Garfield Say About Sam Altman’s Story?

During a Q&A following the movie’s premiere at the New York Film Festival, Andrew was asked about Sam‘s recollection of their alleged encounter.

“If that happened, I must have blacked out,” he said, according to Vanity Fair.

Andrew confirmed that Artificial filmed outside Sam‘s home, but disputed the CEO’s claim that they saw each other.

“We didn’t see him at all that day we were shooting,” he said.

What Did Sam Altman Previously Say Happened?

Just one day earlier, we reported on Sam‘s version of the encounter.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Sam said he initially did not realize that a movie about him was filming outside his home.

He recalled eventually stepping outside and seeing Andrew dressed like him and carrying the same type of backpack.

“We waved and went on, but it was really weird,” Sam said at the time.

He later reiterated that he had never actually spoken to Andrew, saying the wave was their only interaction.

Andrew‘s comments now offer a different account of what happened, casting doubt on the exchange as Sam remembers it.

Andrew Garfield Plays Sam Altman in Artificial

Artificial centers on the upheaval at OpenAI in November 2023, when Sam was abruptly removed as CEO before returning to the company days later.

The movie also stars Yura Borisov as OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati and Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk. Cooper Hoffman and Jason Schwartzman also appear in the film.

The movie premiered at the New York Film Festival on Monday (October 5), with Andrew, Yura, Ike and Luca among those attending.

Artificial opens in select theaters on December 25, with a wider release planned for January.

See what Sam Altman previously said about Andrew Garfield‘s portrayal of him, including the one thing he thought the actor got exactly right.

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