Andrew Garfield credits bully with Spider-Man role

Actor Andrew Garfield credits a school bully with helping him land the leading role in the Spider-Man franchise.

The Brit plays Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter-ego in the superhero movies, and he has revealed he first became interested in the character when he read comic books to escape the hell of schoolyard bullying.

He tells The Observer Magazine, "I didn't have this really abusive experience. I had the general bullying experience where there was a kid who wasn't very happy and he threw his weight around. He targeted me because I was skinny and thin-skinned and he knew it.

"It is really interesting, though, what you perceive as your wounds can later turn into the biggest gifts you have. At the time, I was like, 'Man, I've got to toughen up, get a thicker skin,' whereas in fact, being sensitive and thin-skinned and all the things I still am, lends itself to a career as an actor.

"Also, if it weren't for that bully, I wouldn't have found Spider-Man. That's why I got so lost in the comics and the cartoon series. I would fantasise about him coming to beat the c**p out of my bully."