Andrew Garfield talks about new limited series, Under the Banner of Heaven l GMA…

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When Andrew Garfield appeared on Good Morning America in April 2022, it wasn’t just another press stop — it was a thoughtful exploration of what it means to play faith on the edge of fracture. Promoting his Hulu limited series Under the Banner of Heaven, which premiered on April 28, 2022, Garfield opened up about the deep preparation, emotional toll, and personal insight that shaped his portrayal of Detective Jeb Pyre.

Becoming Jeb Pyre: Researching Faith and Doubt

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Garfield, known for his immersive performances in Silence, Hacksaw Ridge, and tick, tick… BOOM!, once again approached his role with near-spiritual rigor. On GMA, he described the “extensive research” that grounded his performance — traveling to Utah to meet with both practicing and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

These conversations offered him more than background; they became emotional blueprints for understanding belief under scrutiny. As Garfield explained, Jeb Pyre’s journey mirrors the experience of many who struggle to reconcile the teachings of their faith with the realities of the world. “It was important to me to honor the faith while also exploring its complexity,” Garfield shared. That tension — between reverence and reckoning — defines both Pyre’s story and the true events that inspired the series.

A Character as Conduit: Faith Meets Investigation

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Detective Pyre may be a fictional creation, but through him, viewers enter a true-crime narrative drawn from Jon Krakauer’s acclaimed 2003 nonfiction book. Under the Banner of Heaven examines the 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter — crimes linked to religious extremism within a fundamentalist sect of Mormonism.

Garfield described Pyre as the audience’s emotional lens: “He’s a man whose belief system starts to crack as he encounters evidence that challenges everything he’s built his life around.”

This framing allows the series to navigate not only the brutal crime but also the broader questions of institutional faith, obedience, and the dark places zeal can lead. In Garfield’s hands, Pyre becomes a study in quiet unraveling — a believer forced to choose between his conscience and his creed.

Not a Farewell, But a Pause

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Garfield also addressed headlines about his supposed “retirement” from acting. Laughing off the rumors, he clarified on GMA that he was merely taking a break — a “holiday,” as he put it — after an intense stretch of projects that included The Eyes of Tammy Faye and tick, tick… BOOM! “I just need to rest a bit,” he said, emphasizing the emotional labor required for roles that dig so deeply into the human condition.

That brief respite seemed fitting after embodying Jeb Pyre — a man wrestling not only with a case but with the collapse of certainty itself.

Watch, Reflect, and Reconsider

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Under the Banner of Heaven is not just a crime story — it’s a meditation on how belief systems shape, sustain, and sometimes destroy us. Garfield’s interview on Good Morning America underscored that message: playing Jeb Pyre wasn’t about passing judgment, but about listening — to survivors, to former believers, and to the quiet voice of conscience that persists even in crisis.

As Garfield takes his well-earned “holiday,” his work continues to provoke questions long after the credits roll:

How far can faith bend before it breaks?

And what remains when the truth no longer fits the doctrine?

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📺 Stream Under the Banner of Heaven on Hulu.

🎙 Read Jon Krakauer’s original book for the full historical account.

✍️ More at MoviesToHistory.com: exploring where real events meet reel storytelling.

You can watch the GMA Interview with Andrew Garfield below:

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Under the Banner of Heaven is available now with a subscription to Hulu…