Andrew Garfield opens up on earning Oscar nods with Spider-Man alumni Kirsten Dunst, JK Simmons: 'It's a funny thing'

Actor Andrew Garfield has reacted to earning Oscar nominations with fellow Spider-Man actors Kirsten Dunst and JK Simmons, and also on Spider-Man: No Way Home failing to be nominated for Best Picture.

Andrew Garfield was nominated in Best Actor category at the 94th Academy Awards on Tuesday. The actor earned the nod for his performance in the musical drama Tick, Tick...Boom!. The actor is most famous for playing Peter Parker aka Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man series. But he wasn't the only Spider-Man actor to be nominated for an Oscar this year.

Andrew Garfield, Kirsten Dunst, and JK Simmons--all of whom have worked in Spider-Man films--have been nominated for Oscars this year.

Kirsten Dunst, who played Mary Jane in the original Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire, was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in The Power of the Dog. Additionally, JK Simmons, who has played journalist J Jonah Jameson in the original series as well as the Tom Holland films, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Simmons got the nomination for his portrayal of American comedian William Frawley in Being The Ricardos.

The fact that three Spider-Man alumni were nominated for acting awards at the same Oscars is not lost on Andrew. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said, "How funny it is that? I'm so happy for Kirsten. I think her performance in The Power of the Dog is second to none. And Benedict. Obviously, JK--I'm a huge fan. It's a very, very funny thing. It's a cool morning."

However, the latest Spidey film, fan favourite Spider-Man: No Way Home, had a disappointing outing during the nominations. The film earned only one nomination- for Best Visual Effects. This disappointed many fans, who had hoped for the Tom Holland-starrer to earn a Best Picture nod.

Both Andrew and JK Simmons had reprised their roles from previous film series in No Way Home. Talking about the film's perceived snub at the Oscars, Andrew told The Hollywood Reporter, "I'm not able to comment on that, particularly...That movie has been a kind of juggernaut of proportions that I don't think any of us really expected. I can only speak for myself and I just feel grateful to be a part of something that is keeping cinemas alive right now, keeping cinemas full."

Previously, the film's lead actor Tom Holland had also stated in an interview that he viewed audience love for the film a greater validation for himself than an Oscar nomination. “We like to validate ourselves with the love we received from the general public and, so far, that has been through the roof. So for me, with this film and this character, I've already achieved everything,” he told Fox 5.