Andrew Garfield says he feels 'guilt' about not settling down and starting a family by 40

• Andrew Garfield has spoken about how his acting career has set him on a "different path" in life.
• He said that he thought he would be "the first to have kids and settle down" among his friends.

Andrew Garfield has shared that he has "some guilt" that he hasn't fulfilled the "societal obligation" of settling down and having children before turning 40.

Speaking to British GQ for the magazine's annual Men of the Year issue, the "Hacksaw Ridge" star said that while he always thought he would be "the first to have kids and settle down" in his friendship group, his Hollywood career has gotten in the way of those plans.

Garfield, 39, told the publication: "Oh, God. Where do I start with why it didn't happen? No, it's more about accepting a different path than what was kind of expected of me from birth. Like, 'By this time you will have done this, and you will have at least one child' — that kind of thing."

"I think I have some guilt around that. And obviously, it's easier for me as a man," he added.

—British GQ (@BritishGQ) November 15, 2022

On his upcoming milestone 40th birthday, he said: "It's interesting. It feels far off. I need to start thinking about a good party. If I organize something fun, it'll be great. And the good news is, all my high school friends, we're all celebrating [turning 40] together.

"But it's interesting. I always thought I would be the first to have kids and settle down, and they're all shacked up and a couple of kids deep, for the most part," he continued. "Releasing myself from the societal obligation of procreating by the time I'm 40 has been an interesting thing to do with myself."

Elsewhere in the interview, Garfield also reflected on the fact that his mother, Lynn, won't get the chance to meet his future children. Lynn died from pancreatic cancer in 2019.

"Life seems to be a perpetual practice of letting shit go," he said. "Letting go of an idea of how a thing should look, or be, or feel. And that one's a big one [to let go of], because of course I would've loved my mum to have met my kids, if I'm going to have kids."

However, Garfield added that she will be there "in spirit."

"She'll be there for it. I know she's there, for all the big ones," he said. "But, yeah. Life, life, life. Life is in charge. We'll see. We'll see what happens. I'm curious."

Garfield previously said in an interview with the New York Times that his mother died shortly before the start of the coronavirus pandemic after "a long battle with pancreatic cancer."

At the time, the actor had wrapped his Broadway show, "Angels in America," and was about to begin filming the Oscar-nominated movie "Tick, Tick… Boom!"