Andrew Garfield opens up to Elmo about his mother — who recently passed away “When I miss her, I remember it’s because she made me so happy, so I can celebrate her and miss her at the same time”

Elmo, Sesame Street’s furry empath, went viral in January after “checking in” on everyone on social media and getting a flood of reactions. Now, in a video posted on X, the little red monster is helping actor Andrew Garfield work through his grief.

“Elmo’s going around Sesame Street checking in on everybody. So Elmo wants to know how Andrew’s doing?” the 3-year-old monster asked sweetly.

“I’m just thinking about my mum today,” replied Garfield while sitting on the steps next to Elmo. “You know, she passed away not too long ago, and I just miss her, miss her a lot.”

Garfield’s mother, Lynn, died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, just before production began on the film “Tick, Tick… Boom!”

Garfield’s mother, Lynn, died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, just before production began on the film “Tick, Tick… Boom!”

After Elmo said how sorry he is to hear that, Garfield replied, “You don’t have to say sorry. It’s actually kind of OK to miss somebody.”

He went on to tell Elmo 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 that when he misses his mom, he remembers “all of the cuddles I used to get from her, all of the hugs I used to get from her.” He laughed as Elmo gave him a little squeeze and then continued, “It makes me feel close to her when I miss her in a strange way.”

He added, “I can celebrate her and I can miss her at the same time.”

“Elmo’s going to think about and celebrate your mommy, too,” the monster said.

Delighted, Garfield leaned over to tell Elmo a secret. “Elmo was my mummy’s favorite,” he whispered conspiratorially.

After giving Garfield a hug, Elmo said, “Elmo loves you, Andrew.”

“I love you so much Elmo,” he responded. “I always have and I always will.”

Then Elmo turned to face the camera and said, “You know what? We’re going to celebrate all the important and special people that you miss, too.”

“That’s right,” Garfield said. “Each and every day. All together.”