actor tom holland biography

How Tom Holland went from a theater kid in England to a Marvel superstar

• Tom Holland is known for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe .
• As a kid, Holland took dance classes and starred in a production of "Billy Elliot the Musical."
• He'll return as Peter Parker in the upcoming third "Spider-Man" film set for release on December 17.

Holland 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."

Previously, the Russo brothers said that they didn't give Holland a script for "Endgame" because he can't be trusted with Marvel secrets .

"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 was 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. 

In 2020, Holland starred alongside Robert Pattinson in Netflix's "The Devil All the Time."

The thriller film was based on a book written by Donald Ray Pollock. In the movie, Holland and Pattinson played adversaries named Arvin Russell and Preston Teagarden, respectively.

The Marvel star told Esquire that he was a fan of Pattinson prior to becoming costars because of the actor's work in "Twilight."

The actor teamed up again with the Russo brothers for "Cherry," based on a book written by Nico Walker.

The film was released in select theaters and on Apple TV Plus in early 2021. 

Holland starred as a former Army medic who grapples with drug addiction and PTSD. He resorts to robbing banks in order to fund his addiction.

In addition to shaving off his hair , Holland also lost and gained 30 pounds for the role . 

The British actor told Esquire that his mom was furious when he sent her footage of himself "writhing around" on the concrete floor of a jail cell for one particular scene. But after both of his parents watched "Cherry," they were proud of Holland. 

For another scene, Holland busted his nose while repeatedly hitting his steering wheel. And during the last two weeks of filming, he injured his ankle while running during a war scene.

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. 

In 2021, he told Backstage that he and his brother Harry are working on a "massively ambitious" film script and they hope to direct the project.

For now, the actor will be busy with some upcoming movies.

He recently appeared in a film adaptation of Doug Liman's book "Chaos Walking," starring Nick Jonas and Daisy Ridley.

Holland is also starring in "Uncharted," based on the video game series and costarring Mark Wahlberg . The film is set for release in February 2022.

Additionally, the actor will star and executive produce season one of a new anthology series for Apple TV Plus called "The Crowded Room."

Holland's 10-episode season will be inspired by the Daniel Keyes biography titled "The Minds of Billy Milligan." He'll star as the titular character, who was the first person acquitted of a crime due to multiple personality disorder (which is now known as dissociative identity disorder).

Sony and Marvel will also be coproducing the upcoming third "Spider-Man" film, titled "Spider-Man: No Way Home." The cast includes "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" star Jamie Foxx as Max Dillion/Electro and "Spider-Man 2" star Alfred Molina as Dr. Otto Octavius. 

Benedict Cumberbatch will also reportedly reprise his MCU role as NY-based superhero Doctor Strange.

It's been heavily speculated that past live-action "Spider-Man" actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will also return in the film . Holland and Garfield have both denied reports. 

Fans will have to wait until "No Way Home" hits theaters on December 17, 2021 to see what happens. 

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From Billy Elliot to Spider-Man: how Tom Holland won the world’s heart

The British actor’s ascent to Hollywood stardom via gymnastics and dance was not always a given

Tom Holland was obsessed with Spider-Man as a boy. Growing up in Kingston upon Thames, he came to own more than 30 Spider-Man costumes and cherished his Spider-Man bedsheets.

And, unlike for most, his childhood obsession paid dividends later in life: he would eventually get to play his hero, landing the role that has made him the most famous young British actor in the world.

Holland, 25, has been at the centre of Marvel’s cinematic universe for years. After making his debut in Captain America: Civil War in 2016, he has starred in two Avengers and three standalone Spider-Man films. The latest, No Way Home, has so far grossed more than $1.6bn (£1.18bn) worldwide, and Holland is now one of a small handful of Hollywood big-hitters being touted by some to be the next host of the Oscars – the event’s first formal presenter in three years.

The actor’s cheeky British charm, vulnerability and wit have made him one of the internet’s favourite crushes. Whether he’s accidentally spoiling the latest Marvel movie , mispronouncing “croissant” or adopting a chicken after supermarkets ran out of eggs, he has a knack for making audiences laugh and warming their hearts.

But his ascent to Hollywood superstardom was not always a given. In fact, his roots lie not in drama schools or small acting roles but in gymnastics and dance, something the young Holland fell into almost accidentally.

The eldest of four brothers, Holland credits his interest in dancing to the music of Janet Jackson. His dad, Dominic, a standup comedian and author, and his mum, Nikki, a professional photographer, noticed their son’s natural rhythm and signed him up to hip-hop classes at Nifty Feet dance school, run by the choreographer Lynne Page in a leisure centre in Wimbledon. During a performance one Easter, a 10-year-old Holland was spotted by a member of the Royal Ballet school and asked to audition for Billy Elliot the Musical, then on at London’s Victoria Palace theatre.

In his book Eclipsed , Dominic Holland, who later became his son’s unofficial manager and agent, recalls taking Tom to see the musical and laughing at the preposterousness of him playing Billy. “There was just no way. No chance. Ballet, tap, singing, acting; Tom had never done any of these things. He had never even been cast in any of his school plays.” Despite his lack of experience, Tom still caught the eye of the director, Stephen Daldry, because “he could see that Tom could act and, even more crucially, that he could take direction”, his father wrote.

After two years of preparation, including ballet, tap and acrobatic lessons, Holland was finally on stage – first as Michael, Billy’s friend, and then as Billy in 2008. Craig Gallivan, who played Tony in the musical, said it was clear from the very first rehearsals that Holland was special. “The children I was lucky enough work with on Billy Elliot were all exceptional talents so it was something of an impossibility to stand out from that, but Tom did,” he said. “For me, it was his connection to the dialogue. He had access to an emotional sensitivity that was way beyond his years.”

Holland’s turn as Billy Elliot would transpire to be more consequential than he and his family would ever have imagined. JA Bayona, the director of The Impossible, Holland’s first feature film, in which he starred alongside Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, was originally struck by the young actor when he saw a video of him discussing Billy.

The German actor Sönke Möhring, who starred alongside Holland in the 2012 film, said it was “amazing to see how professional he was”. He said: “Besides his great talent he is blessed with a deep soul. You could feel that he was more connected with the story than other actors of his age. Most of all, he was down to earth, very polite and a friendly kid.”

It was around the same time that Holland was cast in Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now. Macdonald, the Oscar-winning director behind One Day in September and The Last King of Scotland, said it was “a beautiful experience” working with the then teenager. “He’d done Billy Elliot, so he had this confidence with having been on stage in front of thousands of people night after night. When you’re meeting teenagers, they’re mostly crippled by shyness. But he was articulate and enthusiastic.”

For Macdonald, this positive energy helped to make Holland a star. “It’s lovely to be around. He’s so bright-eyed.” But if his personality was what drew directors to him, it was the physical agility he developed as a result of playing Billy that kept them there. And none were more keen than the Captain America: Civil War directors, Joe and Anthony Russo.

According to the Captain America star Chris Evans, who met his future co-star during the Spider-Man audition process, Holland ended up doing a flip during a scene. “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!’ And he did it – and stuck it,” Evans said .

When Holland was cast as Spider-Man in 2015, he beat thousands of other young actors to the role, including Asa Butterfield and Timothée Chalamet.

Critics have consistently praised his performances, and a campaign to get No Way Home Oscar recognition is gaining traction. Holland himself is an arch-defender of the artistic merits of the Marvel films. When Martin Scorsese likened the franchise to “theme parks” , he hit back, saying: “I’ve made Marvel movies and I’ve also made movies that have been in the conversation in the world of the Oscars, and the only difference, really, is one is much more expensive than the other.”

Beyond the set, he has said that having Zendaya – another precocious actor, who plays Spider-Man’s onscreen love interest – in his life has kept him sane. The pair’s relationship has long obsessed fans, with videos such as “Tom Holland and Zendaya flirting for 8 minutes straight” racking up more than 1.8m views on YouTube. Last summer, when pictures emerged of the two kissing, Spider-Man fandom was sent into a frenzy. To Holland it was an invasion of privacy, to critics a publicity stunt, and to fans a dream come true.

Holland, who has spoken about the huge responsibility that comes with playing Spider-Man, has a host of upcoming projects, including Uncharted (based on the video game series) and the Apple TV drama The Crowded Room. But of late he’s been more vocal about his desire to branch out into directing and return to dancing .

“The 20-year goal is to be a film director,” he told Interview magazine in 2017 . “The 15-year goal is to win an Oscar.” Whether or not he has the chance to triumph at this year’s awards is yet to be seen. But to his millions of fans, he’s already a winner.

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Tom Holland

Tom Holland (born June 1, 1996) is an English actor best known for playing Peter Parker, aka the web-slinging superhero Spider-Man, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was just 19 years old when he debuted as Spider-Man, making him the youngest actor to star as the hero, after Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield both had turns in separate franchises, and the youngest actor to lead a Marvel movie. After taking classes for tap dancing, ballet and gymnastics as a child, Holland landed his first stage role in "Billy Elliot the Musical" at 12 years old. He played Michael Caffrey, Billy Elliot's best friend, and later played the titular role. His first film role came in 2010 in the drama "The Impossible" opposite Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. Before debuting as Spider-Man, Holland appeared in the films "How I Live Now" (2013), "Locke" (2013), "In the Heart of the Sea" (2015) and had a cameo in "Billy Elliot the Musical Live" (2014). In Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" (2016) he donned the Spidey suit for the first time, and later starred in his own film "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017). He also appeared in two direct sequels, "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019) and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021), and "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019). Outside of the Marvel movies, he also starred in Pixar's animated film "Onward" (2020), Netflix's drama "The Devil All the Time" (2020), Sony's video game adaptation "Uncharted" (2022) and the Apple TV+ drama "The Crowded Room" (2023).

Thomas Stanley Holland

June 1, 1996

London, England

• Spider-Man: No Way Home,
• Spider-Man: Homecoming,
• Spider-Man: Far From Home,
• Avengers: Infinity War,
• Avengers: Endgame,
• The Crowded Room,

BAFTA - EE Rising Star Award (Won)

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Tom Holland Reveals He's Been Sober for 16 Months

The Spider-Man star also opened up about his mental health—and is encouraging others to do the same.

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In a May 9 interview with Entertainment Weekly about his upcoming Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room , Holland said for the first time publicly that he has been sober for 16 months, and discussed how his role in the series has helped him better understand his own mental health.

“Learning about mental health and the power of it, and speaking to psychiatrists about [the role], has been something that has been so informative to my own life," Holland said, particularly about recognizing triggers and sources of stress.

Created by filmmaker Akiva Goldsman, The Crowded Room is a 10-episode psychological thriller based upon the 1981 novel The Minds of Billy Milligan . Holland portrays Danny Sullivan, who is arrested after a 1979 shooting in New York City, and discusses with an interrogator ( Amanda Seyfried ) the factors that led to the incident.

Holland will star in and executive produce The Crowded Room , which will debut on June 9. After nine months of filming, Holland said it took some time for him to recover from the “mental aspect” of the shoot, and that he had trouble detaching himself from the role, according to Entertainment Weekly .

“I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life,” Holland said. “I remember having a bit of a meltdown at home and thinking, like, ‘I’m going to shave my head. I need to shave my head because I need to get rid of this character.’ And, obviously, we were mid-shooting, so I decided not to. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”

While Holland has not publicly addressed his sobriety before, he has been open about discussing his mental health in the past. In August 2022, he released an Instagram video announcing a break from social media “for my mental health.”

“I have taken a break from social media for my mental health because I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming,” Holland said in the video . “I get caught up, and I spiral when I read things about me online, and, ultimately, it’s very detrimental to my mental state, so I decided to take a step back and delete the app.”

In December 2021, Holland said he was “having a midlife crisis at 25,” and suggested he might take a break from acting. He has also made remarks in the past that he might try other professions , like carpentry, something he briefly trained in and enjoyed.

“I don’t even know if I want to be an actor,” Holland told Sky News . “I started acting when I was 11, and I haven’t done anything else, so I’d like to go and do other things.” He also told GQ magazine : “I definitely don’t think I want to be an actor for the rest of my life.”

Holland has always been candid in discussing his mental health. When he announced his social media break, he highlighted the charity Stem4 , which he sponsors with his Brothers Trust foundation. Stem4 designs mental health apps that offer education programs aimed at helping young people cope with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, and more.

“There is an awful stigma against mental health, and I know that asking for help and seeking help isn’t something that we should be ashamed of, but it is something that is much easier said than done,” Holland said in the video.

More recently, Holland said he hoped The Crowded Room would help viewers have more respect and sympathy for people experiencing mental health problems: “I hope that people will feel educated about the powers of mental health, the struggles, [and] our incredible abilities to survive.”

Watch The Crowded Room on Apple TV+

The Crowded Room will debut on June 9 on Apple TV+. The 10-episode limited series was created by Akiva Goldsman and stars Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried, Emmy Rossum, Sasha Lane, and Will Chase.

Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. He is the author of two true crime books: Love Me or Else and Fatal Jealousy . He is also an avid film buff, reader, and lover of great stories.

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Tom Holland Height, Age, Girlfriend, Family, Biography & More

Some lesser known facts about tom holland.

• Does Tom Holland smoke?: Not Known
• Tom has got three brothers, two of them are twins Sam and Harry, three years younger to him. Harry appeared in a Biographical film Diana in 2013. Another brother is Patrick, eight years younger.
• Tom is of Irish descent. As his paternal grandparents were born on the Isle of Man in Ireland.
• Holland started dancing at a hip hop class at Nifty Feet Dance School in Wimbledon, London.
• His Calibre was recognized by choreographer Lynne Page when he performed with his dance school as part of the 2006 Richmond Dance Festival.
• He gave his first performance in the title role in September 2008, receiving positive notices.
• Holland, together with co-star Tanner Pflueger, turned up on the news program on channel FIVE and gave his first TV interview. Next year, he was featured on ITV1 show The Feel Good Factor .
• On 8 March 2010, to mark the fifth anniversary of Billy Elliot the Musical , four current Billy Elliots, including Holland, were invited to 10 Downing Street to meet then UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
• In 2011, Holland was cast in the British version of the animated movie  Arrietty , produced by Japani Studio Ghibli. He furnished a voice for the principal character Sho.
• Holland played Isaac in How I Live Now , released in the U.K. on 4 October 2013, and co-starred as Tom Nickerson in the film In the Heart of the Sea (2015), directed by Ron Howard.
• In 2015, he turned up in BBC Two’s TV series Wolf Hall , as Peer Gregory Cromwell. On 23 June 2015, it was announced that Holland had been cast as Spider-Man for Captain America: Civil War (released in 2016) and Spider-Man: Homecoming , set to be released on 7 July 2017.
• For Spider-Man movie, once he disclosed that he came to know about his selection through Instagram.

Look, I really am a massive fan of making movies but I really do not like Hollywood, it is not for me. The business really scares me. I understand that I’m a part of that business and I enjoy my kind of interactions with it, but that said, I am always looking for ways to kind of remove myself from it to kind of just live as normal a life as possible.” [3] Hindustan Times jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_38186_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_38186_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

On the podcast, Tom revealed that he quit drinking alcohol in January 2022. According to Tom, at one point in time, he realised that he had become a slave of alcohol following which he decided to remain sober for one month; he later extended it to two months, six months, and eventually quit the evil. He said that after successfully being sober for six months, he realised the positive effects of it. Tom said,

And I just sort of said to myself, ‘Why am I so enslaved by this drink? Why am I so obsessed by the idea of having this drink?” [4] Hindustan Times jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_38186_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_38186_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

References/Sources: [ + ]

• Biographies & Memoirs
• Arts & Literature

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Tom Holland: Biography of a great actor (Hollywood Biographies) Paperback – January 11, 2022

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• Part of series Hollywood Biographies
• Print length 43 pages
• Language English
• Publication date January 11, 2022
• Dimensions 5 x 0.1 x 8 inches
• ISBN-13 979-8799015305
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Q8YMB6M
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (January 11, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 43 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8799015305
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.44 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.1 x 8 inches
• #4,383 in Rich & Famous Biographies
• #12,639 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

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Tom Holland (actor)

Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996 ) is an English actor. Holland achieved international recognition playing Spider-Man in six Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero films, beginning with Captain America: Civil War (2016). The following year, Holland received the BAFTA Rising Star Award and became the youngest actor to play a title role in an MCU film in Spider-Man: Homecoming . His His accolades include a British Academy Film Award and three Saturn Awards . He featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list of 2019. Some publications have called him one of the most popular actors of his generation.

Quotes [ edit ]

• "Tom Holland Breaks Free: Talking Zendaya, ‘The Crowded Room’ and the Future of Spider-Man" in The Hollywood Reporter (2023)
• "The star of The Crowded Room on mental health, moving on past Spider-Man, and staying grounded amid the Hollywood machine" in Harpers Bazaar (2023)
• "Tom Holland on playing ‘the biggest departure from myself’ in ‘The Crowded Room’" in Gold Derby (2023)
• "Tom Holland" in Interview Magazine (2017)
• "'Spider-Man' star Tom Holland says the industry 'scares' him: 'I really do not like Hollywood'" in Fox News (2023)
• "Spotlight Far From Home: An Interview With Spider-Man Star Tom Holland" IN Ethos Watches (2019)
• "Tom Holland says he's 'the happiest I've ever been in my life' since starting his sobriety journey" in Business Insider (2023)
• "Tom Holland reflects on mental health struggles" in CBS (2023)
• "The Charm (and Grit) of Tom Holland" in Esquire (9 February 2021)
• "Tom Holland Announces ‘I’m Taking a Year Off’ Due to Brutal ‘Crowded Room’ Shoot: ‘The Show Did Break Me’" in Variety (2023)

External links [ edit ]

• Actors from England
• People from London
• 1996 births
• Living people
• BAFTA winners (people)

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Tom Holland

• Born July 11 , 1943 · Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
• Birth name Thomas Lee Holland
• Height 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
• Tom Holland is an American director and screenwriter of horror and thriller films. His early writing projects include Class of 1984 (1982) and the Robert Bloch - inspired Psycho II (1983) , the latter starring Anthony Perkins as the menacing psychopath, Norman Bates. Tom gained more notoriety, however, as a director. His directorial debut was the popular 1980s Vampire film, Fright Night (1985) which, at the time, was said to have been responsible for redefining the sub-genre, influencing later films like The Lost Boys (1987) and Near Dark (1987) . The film was a box office hit and garnered three Saturn Awards and one Dario Argento Award. For his next project, Child's Play (1988) , Tom again cast Chris Sarandon . The film was a Number One box-office hit in America and a worldwide success, despite controversy over its thematic content. It, like Fright Night (1985) has since gathered a cult following amongst horror fans. Tom then went onto direct two films based upon adaptations of Stephen King 's novels: The Langoliers (1995) and Thinner (1996) . He also took a cameo role in the Stephen King miniseries The Stand (1994) . Tom's other projects have included _The Incredible Hulk_ episode 'Another Path', Steven Spielberg 's Amazing Stories (1985) , three episodes of Tales from the Crypt (1989) , and the prestigious Masters of Horror (2005) anthology. He starred in A Walk in the Spring Rain (1970) with Ingrid Bergman . In 2009 Tom took a starring role in Hatchet II (2010) alongside Kane Hodder and Tony Todd . - IMDb Mini Biography By: Matt Lee-Williams
• Spouse Kathy Holland (? - present)
• Characters undergoing massive physical transformation, usually being very thin/skeletonized ( Thinner (1996) , Fright Night (1985) , We All Scream for Ice Cream (2007) , hallucination sequence in The Langoliers (1995) ).
• Often casts Chris Sarandon , William Forsythe , his son Josh Holland . Also frequently has himself and/or Stephen King in cameos.
• Character sees/knows something supernatural and/or dangerous, but can't get anyone else to believe him/her.
• Frequently combines horror or suspense with sweet food (Examples include: cookies in The Temp (1993) , Ice Cream in We All Scream for Ice Cream (2007) , pie in Thinner (1996) , apples in Fright Night (1985) ).
• Frequently has characters kneeling at some point (often before their death).
• In his acting days during the 1960s and '70s, Holland appeared in more than 200 television commercials.
• Graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA.
• During his tenure as an actor on the soap opera A Flame in the Wind (1964) , Holland attended The Beatles' infamous Shea Stadium concert. The band had the crowd worked up into a frenzy when one of the attendees recognized Holland, and he soon found himself being mobbed, requiring the police to help him escape the overzealous crowd.
• Holland got his start as a director by helming low-budget Hasbro toy commercials in the 1970s.
• When Holland was a struggling young actor, Shelley Winters helped to secure a place for him in the famed Actor's Studio.

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Step Aside, Spidey! It’s Time to Appreciate Tom Holland’s Dark Side

Tom Holland might be most recognizable as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but the actor has also shown us his more dramatic, darker side.

Since we’ve grown accustomed to seeing Tom Holland as the plucky Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it can be easy to forget that he has an extensive resume of other acting roles that show off his impressive range. While his roles in the Spider-Man franchise and Uncharted , for example, have shown off Holland’s effortless gift for comedy, the young star really comes alive when he gets to disappear into the roles of traumatized and tormented characters. In films like The Lost City of Z , Last Call , The Impossible , Cherry , and The Devil All the Time , Tom Holland proves that he might be at his best playing haunted young men grappling with terrifying circumstances. As we anxiously await his performance as a young criminal struggling with dissociative identity disorder in The Crowded Room , let’s take a look back on some other times that Tom Holland stole the show with dramatic roles.

Related: Even Tom Holland & Benedict Cumberbatch Couldn't Save This Messy Historical Drama

'The Impossible' Gave Us an Intense Teen Tom

Starting when he was only 14 years old in 2012’s The Impossible , Holland dazzled us with a serious acting ability that was way beyond his years. The survival film, which is based on true events , follows a family struggling to survive the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami while on vacation in Thailand. The young Tom Holland, in his movie debut, plays Lucas, the eldest of the family’s three young sons. Lucas spends the better part of the film screaming, crying, and being bombarded by waves and debris, and Holland is fully committed at all times in what was no doubt an exhausting shoot. As Lucas has to not only fight to survive but take on the burden of keeping his injured mother ( Naomi Watts ) safe, Holland’s performance artfully shows his transition from a little boy on vacation to a young man horrified by tragedy who is also determined to rescue his family.

In ‘The Devil All the Time,’ Tom Holland Makes the Movie’s Violent Protagonist Sympathetic

Next, if there is a movie that is the opposite of a feel-good flick, it would probably be 2020’s The Devil All the Time . In this slow-burn thriller, Holland plays Arvin Russell, a jaded young man forced to perpetuate a generational cycle of trauma after being orphaned by his parents and sent to live with family in a town dominated by a new, malicious reverend ( Robert Pattinson ). The story contains a multitude of murders, suicides, and vicious assaults, and Tom Holland is at the center of everything as he grapples with the loss of everyone he loves and tries to seek justice in the only way his father taught him — through violence. Delivering venomous lines in a slow, southern drawl and beating his way through a town of wicked bullies and religious fanatics, Holland’s performance is something of a saving grace in an otherwise exhausting watch.

Holding his own against fellow Marvel star Sebastian Stan ’s crooked cop and Robert Pattinson’s perverse pastor, Holland manages to be one of the few sympathetic characters in a movie full of morally corrupt people. Arvin spends most of the movie with a sad, simmering anger that only explodes a handful of times, which makes Holland’s performance of built-up rage all the more impressive. While you should probably steer clear of this movie if you love dogs, hate spiders, or just generally don't want to feel super bummed out, Tom Holland’s heart-wrenching yet subdued performance makes this melancholy drama worth watching.

Tom Holland Plays an Addict With PTSD in ‘Cherry’

Teaming up with MCU directors Joe and Anthony Russo , Tom Holland goes dark once again as the titular character in the 2021 crime drama, Cherry . Cherry is a young war veteran struggling with PTSD, addicted to drugs and robbing banks in order to feed his habit and salvage a life with his similarly-afflicted wife ( Ciara Bravo ). As we watch Cherry go from a promising college student to a traumatized soldier struggling to see the point in anything he does, Holland shows this transformation both emotionally and physically. In one of the movie’s most tragic moments, Cherry demonstrates Holland’s ability to convey both outright horror and quiet devastation as he helps haul his friend’s charred body out of an exploded truck, then is forced to identify him to his superiors.

Truly embodying the character, Tom Holland becomes unrecognizable as we watch Cherry devolve into a shell of his former self as the weight of his disease forces him to go to unspeakable lengths in order to achieve his next high. When he surrenders to the police at the end of the film, Tom Holland doesn’t say a word, but we can see the morbid relief that courses through him as he finally gives up. He fires a few gunshots in the air, plunks himself dejectedly on the curb, and administers one last fix as he waits for the authorities to cart him off to jail. While Cherry is released 14 years later with his wife waiting for him, which offers some relief at the end of an emotionally turbulent movie, Holland’s lowest points in the film remain the most compelling.

Tom Holland Embraces Spider-Man's Emotional Side

If you’re looking for a slightly lighter dose of Tom Holland’s dramatic acting chops, look no further than his work in the MCU. While Holland has taken up the Spider-Man mantle with a youthful exuberance and persistent joy, he has also shown that the young hero is often at his most interesting when faced with his greatest obstacles. Particularly in the acclaimed Spider-Man: No Way Home , when faced with the death of his beloved Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei ), Holland taps into a devastating darkness, sobbing and horrified at the loss of his only remaining family. While his display of grief proves that the actor is always willing to get vulnerable, his later display of rage as he takes his anger out on the Green Goblin ( Willem Dafoe ) shows us a side of MCU Spidey that we hadn’t yet seen. With untapped fury funneling out through his angry spider-fists, Holland leaves it all on the field as he beats the villain within an inch of his life on his desperate quest for retribution.

Through all of these performances and more, Tom Holland proves that he isn’t afraid to go there, with "there" being a desolate emotional landscape where any semblance of levity has been all but beaten out of him. While he bounces seamlessly between action, comedy, drama, and even voice acting, Holland consistently proves that his most serious roles might be his most impressive. Even when put up against big names like Naomi Watts, the flourishing actor has always been able to hold his own against screen legends , and his willingness to take on different personas has prevented him from becoming trapped in the MCU bubble bursting with Spider-Man movies . Tom Holland has a knack for making us sympathize with complicated men and has the capacity to break our hearts as much as he can lift our spirits, so we can only imagine how his tormented performance in The Crowded Room will leave us feeling.

Why Tom Holland Skipped the 2024 Met Gala

Despite girlfriend Zendaya cohosting the event, the Spider-Man star was nowhere to be seen tonight

Holland’s longtime girlfriend Zendaya is one of this year’s gala co-chairs, alongside fellow A-listers Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth. It’s not unusual for co-chairs to bring a plus-one, as evidenced by Hemsworth being accompanied by wife Elsa Pataky—so why was Holland nowhere to be seen?

While the actor has yet to comment on his absence, Holland and Zendaya are known to keep their relationship out of the spotlight and away from high-profile events.

For example, Zendaya has embarked on two whirlwind press tours over the past few months to promote her latest films, Dune: Part Two and Challengers . Although Holland didn’t join Zendaya on the carpet, he was spotted quietly supporting her from the sidelines on the press tour for the latter film. (Which may bode well for a potential Met Gala after-party cameo from him?)

Indeed, the two haven’t walked a red carpet together since December 2021, when they attended the world premiere of their Marvel movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home .

“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,” Holland reflected in a 2021 interview with GQ . “ I’ve always been really adamant to keep my private life private, because I share so much of my life with the world anyway.”

As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset. 

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Lauren graham & aisling franciosi to star opposite dylan o’brien & james sweeney in three point capital & david permut’s ‘twinless’, susan buckner dies: ‘grease’ actor who played olivia newton-john’s cheerleading pal was 72.

By Greg Evans

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Susan Buckner , best known to moviegoers as Grease ‘s bubbly cheerleader Patty Simcox, died peacefully surrounded by loved ones in Miami on May 2.

Her death was announced by family.

Buckner’s Grease character was the Rydell High cheerleading pal of Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy. The 1978 film also starred John Travolta and Stockard Channing.

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Jeannie Epper Dies: Stuntwoman Who Doubled For ‘Wonder Woman’ Star Lynda Carter Was 83

She also appeared on such variety shows as The Mac Davis Show, Sonny and Cher and, as a dancer and synchronized swimmer, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

In 1977, she landed her signature role of perky Patty Simcox, Grease ‘s embodiment of pep and school spirit. “Do the splits, give a yell!” she cheered alongside Newton-John. “Show a little spirit for old Rydell! Way to go, red and white! Go Rydell, fight, fight, fight!”

Grease was the top-grossing movie of 1978 with $132.4 million in box office. Its soundtrack spawned four Top 5 singles, earned an Album of the Year Grammy nom and has sold more than 8 million units in the U.S. alone.

Buckner later was featured in several TV shows, including The Love Boat, B.J and the Bear, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries , and co-starred in the ABC series When the Whistle Blows . She starred in the 1981 Wes Craven horror film Deadly Blessing alongside Sharon Stone and in 1989’s Police Academy 6: City Under Siege. She later stepped away from show business to raise a family.

Buckner is survived by her son Adam Josephs, daughter Samantha Mansfield, grandchildren Oliver, Riley, Abigail and Ruby as well as her sister Linda, daughter-in-law Noel Josephs, son-in-law Adam Mansfield and longtime partner Al.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Susan’s honor.

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