Image Source: GQ
Tom Holland stars alongside Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, J. B. Smoove, Benedict Wong, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, and Rhys Ifans in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.' The film is directed by Jon Watts and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and is co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Tom Holland was recently featured on the cover story for GQ’s Men of the Year 2021 issue, where the actor talks candidly about his relationship with Zendaya, working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and much more along with dealing with paparazzi. During the interview, he shared that he is a terrible sleeper, sleepwalker, and a sleep undresser.
Tom Holland debuted on the London stage in the title role in 'Billy Elliot' the Musical at the West End theater from 2008 to 2010. Tom then went on to star in 'The Impossible' (2012), for which he won the London Film Critics Circle Award for Young British Performer of the Year. When he was cast as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe of superhero films, beginning with Captain America: Civil War, the actor gained international recognition (2016). Tom Holland earned the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the age of 20, making him the second-youngest laureate at the time.
Tom Holland in The Impossible. Image Source: Pinterest
Tom Holland, who was roped in for the role of Spider-Man six years ago, stated that he hasn't taken a break since then. He's starred in three films in the last year, including The Devil All the Time, in which he played a priest-murdering orphan, and Cherry, in which he played a heroin-addicted bank robber, and is now filming two more. Amy Pascal, the former Sony chairperson and Spider-Man producer said, “There are very few actors working now who are versatile in the way Tom Holland is. And he’s the hardest-working person that I know.” Tom Holland on not having breaks said, "I find myself ringing my dad [Dominic, a comedian and author] for stuff that I should definitely know how to do. Dad, how do I put the washing machine on?’"
The actor, who is gearing up for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which is slated for release on December 17th, 2021, is excited to return as Spider-Man on-screen as he feels that being Spider-Man is more of responsibility since a lot of people look up to him. He said, "There are kids out there who are bullied at school and don’t fit in, and Spider-Man is their go-to guy." After actors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield and Russo mentioned, "He had a vulnerability and a wit, and an immense likability that felt to me like Peter Parker from the comics."
Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. Image Source: Polygon
Unlike his predecessors, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker was still a child, burdened with the responsibility that he found overwhelming, something to which Tom Holland could relate. Quoting from the interview, "While most kids his age were still sitting exams and asking around for a prom date, he found himself in a full-time job, and the only people he worked with were Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton, and Jake Gyllenhaal." The actor figured out a way to infuse his nerves into his performances and said, "I was given this piece of advice as a kid that was really helpful, which is: If you think about the actual physical feeling of being nervous, it’s the same physical feeling as being excited. So I’ve just convinced myself all my life that when I’m nervous, I’m really excited. "
Tom Holland also mentioned during the interview that the ages between 15 and 21 are when individuals figure out what they want to be, especially when the world tells them that they are the best thing in the world, and they have grown up believing that. Tom has found companionship in his co-stars, Jacob Batalon and Zendaya. Talking about Zendaya, Tom shared that she became his guide to his new reality, adding, "Having her in my life was so instrumental to my sanity. She is so good at being a role model for young guys and girls. When anyone comes up, like, ‘Can I have a picture?’ it’s never a bad time. Whereas, my initial reaction was, "Why are you talking to me?" Leave me alone. "
Tom Holland added that Zendaya has taught him that fame is work too, and he has learned how to smile for pictures, hug every fan, and do meet and greets at Disneyland. Recalling one incident, Tom Holland shared that while he was walking in London, a couple of guys followed him and started taking pictures. Tom was having a bad day. He added, "I was just trying to keep my head together, and I turned around and told them to get lost." But after walking a few yards, Tom realized that he was Spider-Man and that it was a responsibility rather than having a job, so he turned around and apologized. "There are kids out there who are bullied at school, who don’t fit in, and Spider-Man is their fucking go-to guy, you know? And at the moment, I’m that guy," the actor added.
The second official trailer of the new "Spider-Man: No Way Home" dropped recently, where the audience saw the gates of the multi-verse being opened and villains from all the Spider-Man movies making their way to the current world. On this, Tom Holland shared that when the makers came up with the concept of this, it seemed like an impossible concept, but they pulled it off. Ever since the idea of bringing the previous villains into the current day came out, the audience has speculated that there is a probable chance that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield might return, to which Tom Holland said, "No one believes me, but they’re not in the film."
Since we are on the subject of how Zendaya helped Tom Holland with adjusting to fame, during the summer, the pictures of the two kissing in a car went viral, to which Tom Holland commented, "One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn’t really in our control anymore, and a moment that you think is between two people that love each other very much is now a moment that is shared with the entire world. I’ve always been adamant about keeping my private life private because I share so much of my life with the world anyway. We sort of felt robbed of our privacy. "
The actor further mentioned that this is a conversation he cannot have without Zendaya because he respects her too much to say. This is because this is "their story" and they will talk about it when they are ready to talk about it together. Commenting on the same, Zendaya said, "It was quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive. The equal sentiment [we both share] is just that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things you wish were your own.... I think loving someone is a sacred thing, a special thing, and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other. "
Tom Holland added that his private bubble has gotten smaller, and he has become more protective of it. He mentioned, "People mistake my kindness for weakness. Sometimes I see people trying to take advantage of me because I’m a nice person. Let me tell you when you’re a 19-year-old kid, they do take advantage of you. You don’t know any better. Now I look back and go, "Wow, I wish someone had told me that I could say no."
Tom Holland also shared that "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was supposed to be released after the sequel to "Doctor Strange," but it was delayed because of COVID-19 and then the makers decided that Spider-Man: No Way Home would be released prior and a few of the plot points in the movie were changed accordingly.
Even after production began and they reached to film the finale, the script was revised on a nearly daily basis. "What happens in act three?" you could inquire of the director. "I'm still trying to figure things out," Tom Holland responded. According to Holland, he wasn't feeling a particular scene, and the director, Jon Watts, and Tom discussed it and came up with a different idea. "Then we offered it to the writers, and they reworked it, and it works great," Holland says.
In the end, Tom Holland shared that Elizabeth Olsen gave him a great piece of advice: "No" is a full sentence. ‘No’ is enough". Tom Holland also added, "Maybe it is time for me to move on. Maybe what’s best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film. I have to take Peter Parker into account as well because he is an important part of my life. If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong. "
Jacob Batalon shared that Tom Holland has other ambitions, like when he talks about being James Bond. Tom is also working on a script with his brother, Harry, and is getting ready to shoot 'The Crowded Room', a dissociative identity disorder drama on Apple TV+. Tom is certain of something, "I don’t think I want to be an actor for the rest of my life." Tom Holland revealed that before starring in Hollywood, Tom briefly trained as a carpenter, a craft he still loves. "I’ve always been wonderful with my hands. If something’s broken, I can always figure out a way of fixing it. He has this romantic idea of "buying apartment buildings and renting them out for cheaper than they need to be because I don’t need the money."
"Now that I'm a little older, I think it's good to have goals to strive for. "Just don't put 100 percent of your effort into it," Holland advises. "I'm attempting to live a little more freely." Writer Oliver Franklin Wallis wrote the original piece for GQ, while Sharif Hamza photographed Tom Holland.
Information Source: GQ
