Peanut butter and jelly, sneakers with suits, and Yousra and Andrew Garfield. What do all of these things have in common? Well, for one, they are all unexpected duos that surprisingly go really well together. This week, the Amazing Spider-Man actor and the iconic Egyptian star were spotted at the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, looking like they were having a blast together. In one specifically heart-warming video posted on Garfield’s Instagram account, he can be seen joyfully snapping photos of Yousra surrounded by children—many of whom seemed blissfully unaware of the British-American actor’s fame.
He captioned the video, “When your friend is both your photographer and your biggest fan—unpaid, of course.”
@milleworlddotcom our multiverse of madness #andrewgarfield #yousra #egypt #redseafilmfestival #bff #fyp #besties #spiderman #jeddah #rsiff ♬ original sound – milleworlddotcom
Garfield, who is in Jeddah for the screening of his latest film, We Live in Time, directed by John Crowley, and Yousra, were also spotted in several pictures together, including a snap where Yousra lovingly placed her hand on top of Garfield’s, resulting in a crossover we never knew we needed.
Indeed, Garfield and Yousra becoming besties was not on our 2024 bingo card, but given how this year has unfolded, it’s probably one of the least strange things that have happened. Sure, our brains are having a hard time trying to process how such a friendship could flourish between a 40-year-old British man known for his portrayal of Peter Parker and a 69-year-old highly celebrated Egyptian actress and singer, renowned for her extensive career in the Arab film and television industry—but when you think about it, film has always been a universal language, transcending age, nationalities, and career paths. We can just picture them bonding over their shared love of cinema and Yousra putting him on to classical Egyptian films he likely never heard of.
Not to be reductive about their bond of course, but it isn’t lost on me that Garfield has very recently lost his mother Lynn, in 2019, while in the middle of filming The Eyes of Tammy Faye. He has been very open about how her death has affected him, as well as the grief he underwent. Maybe Yousra, with her warmth and kindness, provides a comforting presence for Garfield during his continued time of healing. Does this mean we might get to see Yousra as Aunt May in the near future? Only time will tell.
