SAN FRANCISCO, California — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says it was “really weird” to see Andrew Garfield portray him in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Artificial, particularly after unexpectedly seeing the actor dressed like him and recreating his mannerisms near his San Francisco home.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Altman recalled walking outside to get coffee while filming was taking place nearby. He said he noticed cameras and then spotted a man who looked remarkably similar to him.
“There was a guy dressed exactly like me with my same backpack,” Altman said, describing the experience as feeling like “some weird glitch of the simulation.”
Garfield plays a fictionalised version of Altman in Artificial, a drama about OpenAI’s rise and the internal turmoil that culminated in Altman’s removal and eventual return as chief executive in 2023.
‘He did walk like me’
Altman said Garfield’s physical portrayal was surprisingly convincing.
“He did walk like me,” Altman said, noting that the actor had also captured some of his “quirky mannerisms.”
According to Altman, the two briefly waved at one another before going their separate ways.
Garfield, however, later recalled the incident differently.
During the film’s premiere at the New York Film Festival, Garfield was asked about Altman’s account. He said he did not remember seeing the OpenAI CEO while filming outside his home.
“If that happened, I must have blacked out,” Garfield said.
The contrasting accounts have added an amusing real-life twist to a film already attracting attention for its portrayal of one of the world’s most prominent technology executives.
Garfield studied Altman for the role
Garfield has said he spent months studying Altman before taking on the role.
Rather than relying primarily on prosthetics to resemble the OpenAI chief, the actor focused on Altman’s posture, walk, gestures and distinctive physical mannerisms.
The effort appears to have paid off, at least according to Altman himself.
Garfield has also studied recordings of Altman’s public appearances, including his testimony before US lawmakers.
Interestingly, Garfield said his first impression of Altman was relatively favourable. After watching Altman testify before Congress, he initially viewed him as someone who appeared willing to discuss AI regulation and the risks associated with the technology.
His perspective changed as he learned more about Altman’s career and the controversies surrounding OpenAI.
Altman does not expect a completely accurate portrayal
Despite being the central real-life figure portrayed in Artificial, Altman has made clear that he does not expect the movie to be a precise account of his life.
He said the filmmakers were obviously taking creative liberties and that he did not think they were “going for accuracy.”
Altman even pointed to a scene in the trailer showing a bunker containing firearms, saying there is no such bunker at his home.
The comment reflects the wider nature of Artificial, which uses real people and major events as the foundation for a dramatized story rather than presenting itself as a documentary.
The film therefore blends recognizable events from OpenAI’s history with fictionalised scenes and character interpretations.
The story behind OpenAI’s dramatic 2023 crisis
At the centre of the film is the extraordinary series of events that unfolded at OpenAI in November 2023.
Altman was abruptly removed as CEO by the company’s board, triggering a chaotic period in which employees threatened to leave and Microsoft became heavily involved in the crisis.
Altman was eventually reinstated as CEO after several days of intense negotiations.
The episode became one of the defining moments in the history of the rapidly growing AI industry, exposing tensions over OpenAI’s mission, corporate structure and the pace at which artificial intelligence should be developed.
Artificial uses those events as the backdrop for a broader examination of the personalities and competing philosophies behind the AI boom.
Ilya Sutskever is another central character
The film also focuses heavily on OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, played by Yura Borisov.
Sutskever was among the board members involved in Altman’s removal in 2023, making the relationship between the two men an important part of the real-life story.
In Artificial, their relationship is portrayed as a clash between technological ambition and concerns about the potential consequences of increasingly powerful artificial intelligence.
The cast also includes actors portraying other major figures from the technology and AI industries, including Elon Musk, Geoffrey Hinton and former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati.
Amazon’s connection to the film created another twist
The movie’s path to release has been almost as unusual as the story it tells.
Amazon MGM Studios originally backed the production but later dropped the film.
The decision came after Amazon announced plans for a major investment in OpenAI, raising questions about whether the relationship created an awkward conflict for a company distributing a film about OpenAI’s CEO.
Altman has denied playing any role in Amazon’s decision.
Neon subsequently acquired worldwide rights to Artificial, allowing the film to move forward with a theatrical release.
The movie is scheduled to open in US cinemas on Dec. 25, 2026.
From Silicon Valley executive to movie character
For Altman, watching Garfield portray him offers a strange experience that few executives are likely to encounter.
He has spent years being photographed, interviewed and scrutinised as the public face of the AI revolution. Now, an Oscar-nominated actor is recreating his appearance, voice, gestures and behaviour for a major motion picture.
The fact that Garfield was filmed near Altman’s own home made the experience even more surreal.
Seeing someone wearing his clothes, carrying a similar backpack and walking in a way that Altman himself recognised was enough to make the real-life executive feel as though he were watching an alternate version of himself.
Garfield, meanwhile, apparently does not even remember the brief encounter.
That unlikely moment may ultimately prove to be one of the strangest behind-the-scenes stories connected to Artificial — a movie about artificial intelligence in which even the real Sam Altman briefly felt as though he had encountered a simulated version of himself.
