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

Holland was born in London, England on June 1, 1996.

tom holland family 2018
From left, Tom Holland, Dominic Holland, Paddy Holland, Nikki Holland, Sam Holland, and Harry Holland in June 2018. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Audi UK

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.

tom holland dog tessa 2017
Tom Holland and his dog, Tessa, at a “Spider-Man: Homecoming” event in London, England in June 2017. Joel Ryan/Invision/AP

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.

Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is an iconic musician. Francois Nel/Getty Images

“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.

tom holland billy elliot behind the scenes
Tom Holland portrayed Billy Elliot. West End Theatre/YouTube

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.”

tom holland in the impossible
The movie was released the same year that the first “Avengers” film came out. Summit Entertainment

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.

tom holland 2012
Actor Tom Holland in September 2012. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

“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.

tom holland chirs hemsworth 2015
Tom Holland and Chris Hemsworth at the premiere of “In the Heart of the Sea” in December 2015. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

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.

tom holland 2013
Tom Holland in 2013. Jon Furniss/Invision via AP

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.

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