Andrew Garfield has revealed that Fela Kuti’s music influenced how he moved in the Spider-Man suit and helped shape his physical performance as Peter Parker.
The actor made the revelation in a roadside interview clip shared on Instagram by Trackstarpresents, where he discussed his habit of creating playlists for the characters he portrays.
“I create a playlist for every character I play, which is a lovely fun thing to do anyway,” Garfield said.
He explained that after landing the role of Spider-Man, he began listening to Fela Kuti and found something in the Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer’s music that connected with the character.
“There was something about the sound and the rhythm that was really useful to me for that character. There was something about suddenly being in touch with the body, but also justice-seeking, because obviously he was a revolutionary figure,” he said.
Garfield said Fela’s influence extended beyond the music and affected his physicality while portraying the superhero.
“The way that I moved in that film in the suit has some inspiration from Fela and his music,” he said.
The actor added that he was trying to capture an element of Fela’s power in his portrayal of Spider-Man.
“I don’t know what it is about this guy’s power that I want to somehow reflect in this guy’s power.”
Garfield first played Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and reprised the role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). He later returned as the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Fela Kuti, who pioneered Afrobeat, was also known for his political activism and criticism of military rule in Nigeria.
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