Elmo's chat about grief with famous actor goes viral
A heart-warming conversation between actor Andrew Garfield and Elmo has gone viral for their candid conversation about grief.
While on a press tour to promote his new film We Live in Time, the English actor stopped by Sesame Street for a chat about his mourning journey after his mother died from pancreatic cancer in 2019.
Sitting on a stoop beside Elmo, Garfield began the vulnerable conversation, that has been praised for being so open about the taboo of grief and death.
“Elmo’s going around Sesame Street checking in on everybody,” Elmo told a smiling Garfield. “So, Elmo wants to know how Andrew’s doing?”
With some encouragement from the Muppet, Garfield revealed that he’s been thinking about his mother, as he said, “She passed away not too long ago, and you know, I just miss her. Miss her a lot.”
After Elmo responded apologetically, Garfield reassured Elmo that there’s no need to say sorry, and that “it’s actually kind of OK to miss somebody,” even if it invokes feelings of sadness.
“That sadness is kind of a gift. It’s kind of a lovely thing to feel, in a way, because it means you really loved somebody when you miss them,” Garfield said, adding: “When I miss my mum, I remember all of the cuddles I used to get from her, all of the hugs I used to get from her.”
Garfield finished his thoughts by saying that he can miss and celebrate his mother at the same time, as Elmo thanked Garfield for sharing his emotions, saying, “You know what, Elmo is gonna think about and celebrate your mommy, too.”
The video quickly racked up millions of views and comments, with many saying how Andrew's thoughts were so poignant, and that they resonated with their own personal stories of grief.
Many people called it a "touching conversation" that was "absolutely beautiful", while another person added, "I didn't expect a talk with Elmo to get this deep."
Image credits: Sesame Street - YouTube