How Tom Holland went from a theater kid in England to a Marvel superstar
Olivia Singh
- Tom Holland is known for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Before becoming an A-lister, Holland took dance and gymnastics classes, then landed a starring role in London's West End production of "Billy Elliot the Musical."
- In 2020, he voiced a character in Pixar's movie titled "Onward," starring Chris Pratt.
Tom Holland is known for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but years ago, he was an unknown actor with a background in theater.
The 24-year-old British actor made his debut as the iconic teen webslinger from New York in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" and his popularity has been steadily increasing since then.
Keep reading to find out how Holland became one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood.
Read the original article on InsiderHolland was born in London, England on June 1, 1996.
His parents are named Dominic Holland (a stand-up comedian and author) and Nikki Holland (a professional photographer).
"It's nice to have a dad who's been in the industry for probably over 30 years because he knows all the dos and don'ts and the ins and outs and stuff," Tom said during a conversation with "Spider-Man" costar Zendaya for Interview magazine.
The actor is also the oldest of four children. His brothers are Harry Holland, Sam Holland, and Paddy Holland.
Sam and Harry are twins, and the latter sibling has filmed and directed several videos. He often joins Tom on his film press tours and puts together recap videos.
The Holland family also includes a dog named Tessa.
Tessa has accompanied the actor during some interviews and red carpets. Holland also posts photos of her on his Instagram.
Holland took dance classes as a child and credits his interest to Janet Jackson.
"I don't actually know which song it was," he told CNET in 2017. "But when I was a baby, one of her songs used to send me into a dancing frenzy. My mom thought I had natural rhythm, so she was like, 'You should go to a dance class.'"
Holland went on to say that he used to take classes "every Saturday in the YMCA in Wimbledon."
Twelve-year-old Holland made his debut as the titular character in "Billy Elliot the Musical" in September 2008.
Holland's interest in theater was a natural progression, considering that he took dance classes at UK-based studio Nifty Feet.
Prior to taking on the main role, Holland played Michael, Billy's friend.
According to the actor, it took approximately two and a half years before he finally went on stage as Billy at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London's West End. The production also put Holland's ballet and gymnastics training to good use.
Watch young Holland explain how he got the role and rehearsed for the show in this 2009 video.
After "Billy Elliott," Holland starred in the 2012 movie "The Impossible."
He starred alongside Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts and portrayed Lucas, a young boy whose family encountered a tsunami while on a vacation.
He was a big fan of Spider-Man long before being cast as the webslinger.
"I reckon I had 30 Spider-Man costumes over the years since I was a little baby," Holland told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. "I had Spider-Man bed sheets. Two years ago, I went to a fancy dress party dressed as Spider-Man and looked like an absolute idiot."
Prior to joining the MCU, Holland actually knew Chris Hemsworth from a film they worked on together.
Holland played Thomas Nickerson and Hemsworth portrayed Owen Chase in Ron Howard's 2015 drama "In the Heart of the Sea."
In June 2019, the "Thor: Ragnarok" star said that he "did what he could" to help Holland nab the Spider-Man role.
"As they were casting him for Spider-Man, I did what I could do and made a call and said he's one of the most talented people I've worked with and has such a big heart and appreciation," Hemsworth told "Entertainment Tonight." "We have a great friendship, it's a good mutual respect."
The Spider-Man audition process took five-and-a-half months.
While participating in Wired's autocomplete interview with his "Far From Home" costars, Holland said that he attended auditions in Ireland, Canada, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
"Civil War" directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo and Chris Evans (Captain America/Steve Rogers) also said that Holland had the edge because of his prior experience as a gymnast. In the script, Spider-Man flipped in a scene, and Holland offered to do that during an audition.
"Marvel doesn't want to see this kid break his neck, so everyone from [the studio] was like, 'Don't! Don't!' And Joe just started salivating, 'Just do it!'" Evans, who met Holland during the process, told Entertainment Weekly in 2016. "And he did it — and stuck it!"
During an appearance on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in May 2017, Holland recalled finding out that he landed the role through Instagram.
His brother, Harry, was skeptical because it had been six weeks since Holland's last audition. He also suggested that Sony got hacked. But then, Marvel president Kevin Feige called Holland and confirmed that he got the part.
On June 23, 2015, Holland was announced as the new Spider-Man.
Following versions that were led by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Holland became the youngest actor to be cast in the role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Asa Butterfield, Charlie Rowe, Charlie Plummer, Judah Lewis, and Matthew Lintz were also considered for the part.
"Little Women" star Timothée Chalamet also auditioned to play Peter Parker, but said that his auditions didn't go well.
The actor's first appearance in the MCU was in "Captain America: Civil War."
His character fought alongside Tony Stark/Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr.), Rhodey/War Machine (Don Cheadle), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Vision (Paul Bettany), and T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).
Outside of his acting credits, Holland's 2017 "Lip Sync Battle" routine went viral.
Holland competed against "Spider-Man" costar Zendaya and blew away fans by lip-syncing Rihanna's "Umbrella" on the Spike show.
The start of his routine reminded people of his theater roots as he wore a suit and hat and twirled an umbrella as "Singin' in the Rain" played. Then, he dressed in drag and danced as water poured down.
"I get more compliments on the lip sync battle than I do for any of my actual work, ever, to the point where now I'm over it," Holland said during his 2019 Wired autocomplete interview.
You can watch the iconic performance here.
His first standalone superhero movie, "Spider-Man: Homecoming," hit theaters in July 2017.
As part of his preparation, Holland went undercover at The Bronx High School of Science.
"As a joke, I suggested to Marvel that I should go to a high school undercover," Holland told Jimmy Kimmel in June 2017. "It was completely a joke and Marvel took it completely seriously. I guess they didn't get my British sarcasm."
The actor used an alias, got a fake ID, put on a false accent, and stayed at the school for a few days.
"I am no genius," Holland added. "Even the teachers didn't know that I was not a real student so they would bring me up to the front of the class and be like, 'What do you think new kid?' [and] I'm like, 'I have no idea what you're talking about.'"
In 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War," Holland improvised one of the most heartbreaking moments in the film.
After Thanos snapped his fingers in "Infinity War," several characters turned to dust, including Peter. As he began fading away, he told Tony Stark that he "didn't feel so good" and repeated the line, "I don't wanna go."
"It was improvised to a degree," Holland told Fox 5's Kevin McCarthy during a 2019 interview. "The scene was never meant to be as dramatic as it was."
"We improvised a version of the scene which wasn't great, but it sparked an idea of, 'We should have this embrace and I should turn to dust while he's holding me,'" he continued.
Regarding the repetition of his "I don't wanna go" line, Holland explained that when he says a phrase over and over again, it makes him feel more emotional.
He reprised his Marvel role in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame."
After being resurrected, Peter jumped into battle with the other Avengers for a final battle against Thanos. The movie was a huge success and hit more than $1 billion at the box office.
Holland has been praised for his acting, but he's been chided for his inability to keep movie spoilers to himself.
Holland has a history of spoiling major plot points, which is a big deal considering that Marvel tries to keep movie details under wraps. His costars have also deemed him the "least trustworthy" cast member.
In the past, Holland spoiled "Infinity War" for a theater of excited fans. Costar Benedict Cumberbatch also said that doing interviews with the young star feels like "chaperoning."
"Tom Holland gets his lines and that's it," Joe said. "He doesn't even know who he's acting opposite of. We'll just, we use like very vague terms to describe to him what is happening in the scene because he has a very difficult time keeping his mouth shut."
In 2019, Holland starred in another Marvel movie that surpassed $1 billion at the box office — "Spider-Man: Far From Home."
The movie directly followed the events of "Endgame," and showed Peter trying to live a normal life and explore Europe with his friends, until Nick Fury recruited him for a new mission.
"Far From Home" also introduced a character named Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal.
Holland previously that it was making the movie without Downey Jr., who's his real-life and on-screen mentor, was "emotional."
Months after the release of "Far From Home," the actor's future in the MCU was unclear after a deal between Sony and Marvel fell through. Thankfully, the studios ended the feud.
In August 2019, it was revealed that Spider-Man was being pulled from the MCU after the two studios were unable to reach a financial agreement regarding the character.
The news stunned fans and Holland's costars, but thankfully, they were able to compromise the following month (partly due to a drunken plea made by the "Spider-Man" star). They also revealed that a third standalone movie about the webslinger is in the works.
Holland celebrated his return to the MCU by posting a scene from the 2013 movie "The Wolf of Wall Street," which showed Leonardo DiCaprio's character giving a speech about "not leaving."
Holland has also voiced characters in a few movies: "Spies in Disguise," "Dolittle," and "Onward."
Holland played a scientist named Walter Beckett who turned "the world's greatest spy," Lance Sterling (voiced by Will Smith), into a pigeon. Holland and Smith actually didn't meet each other at all in the two-and-a-half years that they spent making the movie.
The British actor also voiced a dog named Jip in "Dolittle," which starred Downey Jr. as the titular character with the ability to communicate with animals.
In 2020, Holland teamed up with MCU costar Chris Pratt for Pixar's "Onward." They played elf brothers who were gifted with a staff and spell from their late father, which allowed them to bring him back to life for one day.
The actor has also used his fame to help others through an organization called The Brothers Trust, which his parents founded in 2017.
The Brothers Trust has raised money for charities they support through raffles that give fans the chance to attend private screenings, meet the actor, and even visit the "Far From Home" film set.
In July 2019, New York's Empire State Building was lit up in red and blue in honor of "Far From Home" and The Brothers Trust.
Holland also hopes to branch out from acting and direct someday.
"The 20-year goal is to be a film director," Holland told Interview magazine. "The 15-year goal is to win an Oscar. The five-year goal is to just keep enjoying myself. I really am having the time of my life."
Holland also told the publication that he wants to push himself as an actor and expand beyond playing a superhero.
For now, the actor will be busy with some upcoming movies.
He'll appear in a film adaptation of Doug Liman's book "Chaos Walking." The cast includes Nick Jonas and Daisy Ridley.
You can also expect to see Holland alongside Robert Pattinson and MCU costar Sebastian Stan in a drama called "The Devil All the Time," which is expected to be released in 2020.
He's also starring in "Uncharted," based on the video game series and costarring Mark Wahlberg.
Holland will work with the Russo brothers again, too. He'll star in "Cherry," based on a book written by Nico Walker.
Sony and Marvel will be coproducing the upcoming third "Spider-Man" film, which is scheduled to hit theaters on November 5, 2021.
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