Andrew Garfield says he nearly landed the role of Prince Caspian in 'The Chronicles of Narnia' franchise, but was told that he wasn't 'handsome enough'

• Andrew Garfield said that he really wanted to play Prince Caspian in the "Chronicles of Narnia" films.
• Garfield told Entertainment Tonight that it was down to him and Ben Barnes, who got the part.

Andrew Garfield said that he almost landed a role in a film franchise based on a popular book series, but was told that he wasn't attractive enough.

"I remember I was so desperate," Garfield said when asked to discuss a setback in his career in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight. "I auditioned for Prince Caspian in 'The Chronicles of Narnia' and I thought, 'This could be it, this could be it.' And that handsome, brilliant actor Ben Barnes ended up getting the role."

The "Spider-Man: No Way Home" star continued: "I think it was down to me and him, and I remember I was obsessed."

Garfield said that he kept asking, "Why not me?" and begged his agent to give him an honest answer about why he ultimately didn't get the role.

"She eventually just broke under my incessant nagging and she was like, 'It's because they don't think you're handsome enough, Andrew,'" the actor recalled.

"Ben Barnes is a very handsome, talented man," Garfield added. "So in retrospect, I'm not unhappy with the decision and I think he did a beautiful job."

The first "Narnia" film was released in 2005, based on a fantasy novel written by C. S. Lewis about four siblings who enter a magical land by way of a wardrobe.

The 2008 sequel, titled "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," centered on the titular character teaming up with the Pevensie siblings to overthrow an evil ruler.

Barnes, who's now known for roles on "Westworld" and "Shadow and Bone," starred as Prince Caspian in the 2008 movie and the sequel that was released two years later, titled "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

In his interview with ET, Garfield said that he experienced a "big spell of unemployment" before making it big in Hollywood.

"I had a year and a half of waiting tables and working at Starbucks," he said, listing the odd jobs he had to make ends meet.

Even though Garfield didn't land the part of Prince Caspian, he received positive reviews for his roles in the films "Boy A" and "Lions for Lambs."

His breakthrough performance as Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin in 2010's "The Social Network," alongside Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, earned the actor his first Golden Globes nomination for best supporting actor in a motion picture.

Two years later, he made his debut as Spider-Man/Peter Parker in a "Spider-Man" reboot that costarred Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. The two reprised their roles for a sequel released in 2014.

Garfield went on to earn an Oscar nomination for best actor in a leading role for his performance as a WWII medic in "Hacksaw Ridge" and won a Tony for his starring role in the Broadway show "Angels in America."

He reprised his Spider-Man role in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," to rave reviews, and recently won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of late "Rent" composer and playwright Jonathan Larson in "Tick, Tick ... Boom!"