Tom Holland has given fans an insight into his process as an actor, revealing that his partner Zendaya is person he trusts to be the “most honest” with him about his performances.
The 27-year-old Spider-Man actor told SAG-AFTRA Foundation that he relies on his Marvel co-stars to give him feedback on his work, explaining: “Zendaya is probably the most honest with me. Which I love, ‘cause you need that.”
Holland also said he leans on co-stars Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch for guidance. “Downey is very honest — sometimes a little too honest,” he said. “I really respect Downey’s opinion. He taught me so much, I always sing his praises. I love the guy. I admire him.”
Holland and Zendaya first met while working on set for Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016. Dating rumours followed quickly but the couple confirmed their relationship in 2021 when they were spotted in LA in Holland’s car.
Tom Holland in Spider-Man
(Sony Pictures Releasing )
Speaking in an interview with Jay Shetty on his podcast“On Purpose”, Holland revealed his interest in keeping his relationship with Zendaya private. At the time he said the relationship was “the thing I keep most sacred.”
“I don’t talk about it. I try my best to keep it as private as possible, we both feel very strongly that that is the healthiest way to move on as a couple,” he said, while saying he wanted to “focus on what makes me happy” outside of his work in Hollywood.
In September of this year, Holland said he would take a break from acting after a particularly strenuous role in the new Apple TV+ series, The Crowded Room.
The actor took on the role of Danny Sullivan, a man arrested for his involvement in a shooting in 1979.
Discussing the role with ExtraTV about the gritty, psychologically dark project, Holland said that the series prompted him to take a year-long sabbatical from acting. “I loved the learning curve of becoming a producer,” Holland said. “I’m no stranger to hard work, I’ve always lived by this idea that hard work is good work. I really enjoyed it but then again, the show did break me.
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“There did come a time when I was sort of, ‘I need to have a break’. I disappeared. I went to Mexico for a week and had some time on a beach and lay low. And I’m now taking a year off, and that is a result of how difficult this show was,” he continued.
Actors Amanda Seyfried (L), Tom Holland (C) and Emmy Rossum (R)
(AFP via Getty Images)
The Crowded Room also stars Emmy Rossum as the mother of Holland’s character.
On taking a break Holland said: “I’ve done a little bit of traveling. I had an amazing time. I’ve been seeing my family, seeing my friends. I’ve been playing golf. I’ve been going to the garden centre and buying plants and doing my best to keep them alive. I’ve just been trying to be a regular bloke from Kingston and just relax.”
But during a recent press conference with the Critics Choice Association, Holland discussed the potential for a Spider-Man 4 movie, adding that he was in “actively engaging in conversations” regarding the film.
“All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character,” Holland added.
“Whether or not we can find a way to do justice to the character is another thing. I feel very protective over Spider-Man. I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy.
“So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character.”
He continued: “But that said, if we can figure that out, I would be a fool not to put the suit back on again because I owe everything to Spider-Man. I love the character and the people I get to work with. So, I would love to tell another story, but I’ll only tell it if we can find the right one.”