Born in Los Angeles and raised in Epsom, England, Garfield began his career on the UK stage and in television productions. He made his feature-film debut in the 2007 ensemble drama Lions for Lambs. Also that year, his performance in the television film Boy A earned him a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. He came to international attention in 2010 with supporting roles in the drama The Social Network, for which he received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations portraying Eduardo Saverin.