GINAMIT ni Andrew Garfield ang pakikipaglaban niya noon sa sakit na meningitis bilang inspirasyon sa kanyang pagganap sa isang real-life polio sufferer sa pelikulang Breathe.

Gumaganap ang bituin ng Amazing Spider-Man bilang ang polio pioneer na si Robin Cavendish sa directorial debut ni Andy Serkis, at ipinaliwanag niya na bagamat hindi na hindi na niya maalala ang pakikipaglaban niya sa nakamamatay na meningitis noong sanggol pa siya, nag-iwan ng malaking bakas sa kanya ang naturang karamdaman.

‘’Something I can share which is interesting, although it may be a bit tenuous to some people reading this, is that soon after I was born I contracted a (strain) of meningitis called coxsackie, which is almost a funny word but not a funny experience apparently,” aniya sa The I Newspaper. “It could have killed me, or meant that I had severe mental or physical disabilities for the rest of my life.”

“Some people might not agree, but I believe that our birth story, what happens in the womb, when we come out, the environment we come into, whatever complications at birth leave an imprint on the child,” dagdag niya. “So I do believe that there is some innate knowledge of that experience in me somewhere. Some people may scoff at that.’’

Bilang paghahanda sa role, pinag-aralan ni Andrew ang pagsasalita ng mga taong gumagamit ng respirator, ngunit batid na hindi niya lubusang maipapahayag ang mga pinagdanan ni Cavendish.

“How do you ever encapsulate someone?” aniya sa Yahoo movies. “You can’t. It’s impossible to do, even in an autobiography. If you have 500 pages to explain the insides of someone, it’s impossible, so you just try your best as an actor to embody it to the best of your ability.” - Cover Media