Tom Holland, an English actor from Kingston, London, began his acting career in 2008 when he was discovered by choreographer Lynne Page. Holland, who took hip-hop dance classes at Nifty Feet Dance School in Wimbledon, was scouted after his performance in the 2006 Richmond Dance Festival. After eight auditions, he debuted in Billy Elliot the Musical as Billy’s best friend, Michael. During his time in the musical, Holland partook in two subsequent years of dance training where he’d practice ballet dancing every day for about six hours.
After the musical, Holland quit dancing and moved strictly onto his current acting trajectory, but he did not do so without looking back fondly on the memories. Although he was bullied as a child for being a dancer, Tom confesses that his “biggest regret is giving up dancing.”
His dancing days weren’t completely over in 2008 though, as Holland performed a mesmerizing and equally memorable dance routine on Lip Sync Battle in May 2017. At the time, he was competing against Zendaya, his co-star from the last two Spider-Man movies and the star of the well-loved drama series, Euphoria. While both stunned the audience with their otherworldly renditions of their respective songs, Holland’s execution of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” left a long-lasting impression for years to come. In fishnet tights, a black wig, and a leotard, Tom performed an entire routine while splashing around in the rain… on stage!
The video went so viral that he’s stated he’s been asked about it more than he’s ever even been approached about his other works. Though a fond memory, he doesn’t intend to return on the show and compete again, arguing it was possibly the most stressful week of his life.
Nonetheless, it was an exciting endeavor as he was able to participate in the show with his co-star and close friend. In fact, it’s probable that part of the reason Tom rose in popularity so quickly was because of his relationships with his cast members.
Choosing to take his career one step at a time, his social media presence has introduced him as an ordinary guy. Even more so, it’s solidified his image as a major fangirl. Whether it be through the numerous interviews where he sings Robert Downey Junior’s praises or through his many Instagram posts featuring his friends, his authenticity and ingenuity is incredibly well-perceived.
In a recent interview from his issue in British GQ, Tom goes so far as to claim Zendaya “totally changed the way [he’s] able to be more comfortable in public.” His constant appraisal of his friends is admirable and contributes heavily to his ever-growing charm. Whether the charm starts with the accent, the hair, or the various talents he’s retained, he’s maintained his reputation as a figure to keep your eyes on.
It wasn’t Billy Elliot the Musical or Lip Sync Battle that started his climb to stardom, though. Holland had his feature film debut in The Impossible (2012), a disaster drama about Maria Belon’s experience in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Despite the movie earning over $180 million worldwide and Holland receiving several awards for his performance, it wasn’t until 2016 that he metaphorically blew up.
In 2015, Tom was cast as Peter Parker and granted a six-picture deal with Marvel Studios. Not long after, he made his first appearance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War where he grabbed the audience’s attention with his awkward, naive portrayal of the long-loved superhero. Though Tobey Maguire remains the untouchable image of Spider-Man to many fans, Holland’s take on the character was exactly what many had pictured upon reading the comics.
His portrayal only improved with time and in July 2017, the second reboot of Spider-Man was released: Spider-Man: Homecoming. The film grossed over $800 million worldwide and follows the life of Peter Parker as he attempts to balance high school with his newfound superhero responsibilities. Holland even earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for his performance as the youngest actor to play a title role in the MCU.
His fan base grew exponentially with each Marvel appearance – from Avengers: Infinity War to Avengers: Endgame to Spider-Man: Far From Home. Although he’s been incredibly successful as a result of these films, he’s recently surpassed some of his childlike roles and entered a more serious domain of acting.
In September 2020, Holland starred in The Devil All the Time, a psychological thriller, alongside Robert Pattinson and other star actors. The film didn’t amass nearly enough traction as was expected, but Tom certainly didn’t stop there with acquiring more mature roles. Within the next year, the English actor is set to star in four films.
The first of the four is Cherry, a crime-drama revolving around an army veteran with PTSD and a crippling opioid addiction. Cherry was released in February and despite its primarily average to negative critic reviews, the movie has been positively discussed often on social media. This is possibly due to the several interviews Holland partook in that captured the attention of many and revived his fanbase — the group was far less active during Tom’s venture into animation and adventure films (Spies in Disguise in December 2019, Dolittle in January 2020, Onward in March 2020).
In March of this year, Tom starred in Chaos Walking, a dystopian film where there are no women until one crash lands on the planet and he must help keep her alive. Chaos Walking also received low reviews from critics, but serves as another example of Tom’s exemplary performance as he is, once again, praised for his charming portrayal of his character.
Uncharted, an adaptation from the game series, features Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and is set to release in February 2022. The movie hasn’t sparked much conversation as of yet, but Holland has already commented on his acting in the last few weeks. He says that he believes his approach to the character may have been a mistake, but unfortunately for him, it’s up to the fans to decide this when the time comes.
The last of Tom’s upcoming works is Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is believed to premiere in December 2021. Although he is returning to his roots with this movie, it’s possible that this will be his last time acting as Spider-Man since it is the sixth film in his six-picture deal with Marvel. Fans are not willing to see him ago just yet, but the picture is still heavily anticipated as audiences wait for the first good Spider-Man finale (Tobey Maguire was great but that last movie was terrible and we all know it).
With that being said, it’s entirely unknown where Tom Holland will end up next, but one thing’s for sure: he is definitely an actor to look out for as his career only improves by the minute. A majority of his works can be found online, but if you’re looking to know more about Uncharted or No Way Home, check out his Instagram where he frequently posts about what he has up his sleeve (and about his beautiful dog, Tessa).