Only nine years ago, Tom Holland was completing his GCSEs, having a summer break, and embarking on a two-year course in the highly regarded BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology. The London Borough of Croydon base is notoriously selective with its intake of former alumni, including singers Adele and Amy Winehouse. It all meant Holland was in good company.
But before that, he was spotted at Nifty Feet Dance School in Wimbledon by choreographer Lynne Page, associate to Peter Darling, the film's visionary and subsequent musical, Billy Elliot. Holland would make his West End debut in the 2008 stage production as Michael, Billy's best friend.
Back in 2012 and during his time at BRIT School, Holland would successfully audition for the part of Lucas in The Impossible, based on actual events arising out of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Starring alongside Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, the youngster received high praise for his performance: "Terrified, yet courageous," read the reviews.
Holland has continued to mix up blockbuster warfare with smaller roles – Chaos Walking and Cherry in the past 12 months are evidence enough of that.
Yet since Holland was cast in the role of Peter Parker and his alter-ego, Spider-Man, in 2015, a seismic shift has arrived. He has appeared in subsequent Sony and Marvel releases across consecutive years, including Captain Marvel: Civil War in 2016, 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, as well as Avengers: Endgame.
And in 2019, he reprised the hero again in Spider-Man: Far From Home. He was recruited by Mysterio (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) to face elemental threats from another dimension while Parker is on a school trip to Europe.
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must continue to step up to take on the new (and past) threats in a world that has changed forever.
STRIPLV: What was it like shooting this one? HOLLAND: It was such a great honor to do it all over again, and in my opinion, this movie is way better than the first and second ones. It was such a pleasure, and it is quite rare in our industry that we get to work with the same people time and time again. Seeing Zendaya and Jon and others is like hooking up with old friends. And when you really get on with those people and enjoy what everyone does, there is just nothing like that. It cannot get better. While the amazing thing about the last this film was the relationship between Spider-Man and Mysterio, this one is the next stage on where Peter Parker is looking to restore his veil of secrecy and privacy. He has been uncovered and needs privacy back, but in trying to get that, he opens the door for all manner of past enemies to return. STRIPLV: Filming locations were incredible for the second film, but I guess the opportunities were more limited this time around because of Covid. HOLLAND: That's right. Last time around, it was amazing because the expectation with a film like this was that it would be shot in front of a green screen, but we are sailing down the main canal in Venice and shooting on the main square in Prague. We are putting these very incredible characters in very incredible places. It was remarkable to see these characters operate with a backdrop that we recognize immediately, and I think that it worked so well—this time, we did need to be more considered. Filming was in New York, Atlanta, LA, and Iceland, and much of it was controlled and didn't give us the freedom we had the first time around. There was much more emphasis on special effects, which I actually think worked well as a contrast from the second movie. What really stood out for me in the second film and this one is that there is not a corner of the Earth that we cannot go to where the support from the fans is not amazing. Every set we were on, every location that we went to, the support was absolutely fantastic. It was a real good catalyst to get us working hard and to make sure that we were doing the best movie possible for those fans. So, it was just mind-blowing that we couldn't go anywhere to film without people coming out to support us and showing their love. For me, that's the best part of it and a big reason that I do what I do—knowing that there are people out there who appreciate the work that you do. Sharing these movies with people is the best way to repay them, and I would have to say that it was pretty crazy. STRIPLV: How were the stunts this time around? HOLLAND: We continued to work really hard with the stunts. We put a lot of effort into designing the stunts and making sure that I could do as much as possible. That's important to me as an actor and always has been. Obviously, I worked as close as possible with my stunt doubles so that we could create the coolest, the most unique, and the most amazing version of this character that we all know and love so well. STRIPLV: Is it still daunting even when returning to take on a role of this size? HOLLAND: It's impossible not to be daunted. Spider-Man's legacy, through other actors, represents such great and unforgettable performances, and I've seen them all. I saw them before I had anything to do with this, so it's not like I can shield myself from it now. STRIPLV: Did you ever speak to Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield about the role? HOLLAND: No, never, because ours was a different take to theirs, and it probably would have filled me with more anxiety than I was already experiencing. I've always needed to focus purely on what I could bring and not compare myself to either of them. But they have been very cool with what they've said about me. I've met Andrew, who is a really kind, generous guy. We didn't talk about Spider-Man, though. (Laughs) STRIPLV: Do you go to others for advice and support? HOLLAND: Sure. And that's the thing. There are lots of good people to talk to in the industry, always. Robert Downey Jr has always been really great. There were moments, particularly during Homecoming, where I doubted my capabilities, and we all have doubts. And he pulled me aside one day and said, 'you know, you got this, this was meant to be. I had the same feelings doing Iron Man - the same anxieties, but now that they picked you for a reason because it feels right, it works. "It's not about how good you can do the web-slinging or stunts. It's about the personality you bring to the character" That eased my fears, and wise words like that from Iron Man, you don't forget. They're stored in the vault for repeat use. (Laughs) STRIPLV: And it's true Chris Hemsworth got you're a real leg-up into the role? HOLLAND: It is, and I feel I'm very forever indebted to him. I owe him a lot and was pretty lucky to have that connection while we were working together on In the Heart of the Sea. I remember emailing him and asking, and now that I think about it, it was fairly cheeky of me, but I was, in effect, asking for a job. "Hi Chris, can you get me a job?" He replied very quickly and said, 'Of course, I'll let them know, they're good buddies of mine, and I'll let them know that you never know your lines, and you're very unprofessional, in a very jokey way. But no, Kevin told me how lovely Chris was, and it really can't have hurt. I'm very grateful to him for doing that because he doesn't know me well. He doesn't owe me anything. And he's such a great, good guy and not so removed from what it was like starting out, how important it was to have an endorsement like that. STRIPLV: So, I presume you got him one hell of a thank you gift? HOLLAND: No, he doesn't need nor wants anything like that. He would be embarrassed by that because I know in his eyes, he was simply doing a favor. It's not like I owe him with my life. I think I just wrote him a nice email thanking him. STRIPLV: And you found out you got the role on Instagram, right? HOLLAND: Yeah, a weird way to find out, I'll admit, but yeah, Instagram. I was in bed, just chilling, and went online, and Marvel had posted a photo of Spider-Man on Instagram saying: "Guess who's going to be our new Spider-Man? Go to our website to find out." I was moving in slow motion; I couldn't catch my breath because this was so huge. I got out of bed and walked around the room for a few seconds, and then went back to the screen. And I read: "The new Spider-Man is..." and I slammed the laptop shut because I couldn't read it. I had to take a minute. But I slowly opened it up again and read my name, and yeah, it was the best feeling in the world. I screamed and shouted, and then my brother was like, "That's probably not real. They could have been hacked". (Laughs) STRIPLV: You've been performing since you were what? HOLLAND: Ten. STRIPLV: Was there bullying to contend with, and is Spider-Man a "fuck you" to them? HOLLAND: There was a bit of bitterness when I was a kid: "Oh, you do dancing, and you do ballet." STRIPLV: Like Billy Elliot. There had to have been envy and resentment? HOLLAND: Yeah, but it's boys at a boys' school. I have no bitterness to them, some of them are my good friends now, but that's part of life. If you're different, people will either accept it, or they'll make life hard for you. STRIPLV: Would you say learning dance and doing ballet is the perfect training ground for a part like Spider-Man? HOLLAND: Yeah, definitely, a hundred percent, dancing and ballet give you a really strong discipline in whatever you do, and it just means, when something gets hard, that's good. I enjoy a challenge, that's where you learn from it, and dancing is where I learned that, really. Any job teaches you something different. The Impossible definitely taught me about physicality on set, and Billy Elliot gave me the discipline through dance and gymnastics and all that. It's all building blocks – mental and physical. I've learned that whatever job I'm on, you can never be too prepared, but for each job, I try to be as prepared as I can be. STRIPLV: You're still so young and in these stunt-driven movies. How do you feel about the risk involved? HOLLAND: I'm fine, but my mom is never too happy. My mom is a worrier; my dad is probably more like: "He'll be fine." Anything I'm working on is always so controlled. It's always all very safe.