Andrew Garfield Says He Was Told He Wasn’t ‘Handsome Enough’ For ‘Narnia’ Role

Andrew Garfield may be one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars these days, but even he’s had a few professional setbacks on his rise to the top.

The “Spider-Man: No Way Home” actor recently recalled being passed over for the title role in 2008’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” ― and being told it had to do with his looks.

“I remember I was so desperate. I auditioned for Prince Caspian in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and I thought, ‘This could be it, this could be it,’” Garfield told Entertainment Tonight in an interview that aired over the weekend. “And that handsome, brilliant actor Ben Barnes ended up getting the role. I think it was down to me and him, and I remember I was obsessed.”

Watch Andrew Garfield’s “Entertainment Tonight” interview below.

After hearing about the casting snub, Garfield said he pressed his agent for an explanation. “She eventually just broke under my incessant nagging,” he explained, “and she was like, ‘It’s because they don’t think you’re handsome enough, Andrew.’”

These days, Garfield is enjoying a career renaissance. On Sunday, he received the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for his portrayal of composer Jonathan Larson in Netflix’s “Tick, Tick… BOOM!” And though he’d initially denied his involvement in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” both he and Tobey Maguire reprise their web-slinging roles in the Marvel blockbuster, which opened in theaters last month.

And Garfield has no hard feelings toward Barnes. Describing the “Shadows and Bone” actor as “a very handsome, talented man,” he said, “In retrospect, I’m not unhappy with the decision, and I think he did a beautiful job.”