Andrew Garfield couldn't speak more highly of his Breathe co-star Claire Foy as they walked the red carpet on Wednesday night. The actor, who was attending the opening of London Film Festival, praised Claire as he told HELLO! Online: "It was amazing to work with her. She's such a wonderful actor and a wonderful person. Thank God we got along very well, it was a lovely time."
The pair play husband and wife duo, Robin and Diana Cavendish, in the drama directed by Andy Serkis. Robin is a polio sufferer, who, at the age of 28, is only given three months to live after being paralysed from the neck down. He became a pioneering advocate for the disabled, devoting the rest of his life to helping fellow patients. On the challenge of playing a heavily disabled man, Andrew said: "I just practiced, practiced, practiced, practiced with that physical limitation and that vocal limitation. And it sort of became second nature."
"She's such a wonderful actor and a wonderful person," said Andrew
Andrew talks Golden Globes kiss with Ryan Reynolds
"It was wonderful, incredibly inspiring," he told reporters at the film festival. "I got to learn a lot about myself and my privilege and the things that I take for granted. The fact that I have a body and I can move it. That's one of the main things I took away from the film." Andrew, 34, added: "I thought, here's a man I can learn from because I haven't faced the kind of adversity he's faced and yet he had this unquenchable spirit and longing to live and I found that incredibly uplifting and inspiring."
Director Andy Serkis praised the pair's "genuine chemistry"
His co-star Claire, of The Crown fame, said of the biopic: "I still haven't got over it. I watched it when I was in Toronto and I balled my eyes out the entire time – and I was in it! I feel very connected to this film and everyone who was in it." She added: "Luckily for Diana she had an incredible husband who she loved and who was supportive of her, and appreciated her and thought she was amazing. And so he was worth it."
What to expect in season 2 of The Crown
The Lord of the Rings star Andy, who was making his directorial debut with Breathe, also spoke about the couple's on-screen chemistry, saying: "I think the performances are extraordinary. I think Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy together, their chemistry was something you very, very rarely see on screen. It was genuine, it was true, it was never forced. They're two incredible people who totally responded to the story and the subject matter."