The Untold Truth Of Tom Holland's Famous Dad
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Let's talk about celebrities' parents for a hot sec. Whether they're stage parents or simply just related to the star, moms and dads in the world of celebritydom often find themselves in the limelight in relation to their kids. Still, they can be involved in the family business (à la Kris Jenner), they can find themselves propelled to royal status within the fanbase (and on a first-name basis), or, of course, they can be famous in their own right (see: Lisa Bonet, mom of Zoë Kravitz, or Cindy Crawford, mom of Kaia Gerber, and many more).
For Tom Holland — arguably the best Spider-Man out of all the webbed wonder's portrayals — his dad, Dominic Holland, is in the last group. That's right: Whether you knew it or not, Dominic was famous before his son was even born.
Dominic first made a name for himself decades prior to when Tom first starred on the West End as the titular character in Billy Elliot, let alone in his role as Spider-Man. He is a comedian, author, radio host, and has made many appearances on television.
Get to know more about Tom's famous dad below.
Tom Holland's dad Dominic has jokes
To first introduce you to Dominic Holland, you should know that he does stand-up. In fact, he won the award for Best Newcomer at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1993. Twenty-four years later, in 2017, Dominic performed at the festival yet again, bringing his book-turned-comedy show, Eclipsed, to the stage (more on Eclipsed below).
The Guardian observed that Dominic's act centered around "assorted domestic mishaps" — including some NSFW tidbits, some of which might be embarrassing for son Tom Holland, who came to watch him perform in Edinburgh for his dad's second time around.
According to the biography on his official website, Dominic has toured the United Kingdom "and beyond" with his comedic acts. His television appearances include a number of U.K. game shows, as well as turns on radio programs — including four that he wrote and starred in.
In addition to his comedy routines and time in broadcasting and on TV, Dominic is also a published author. In fact, he's written five novels, as well as an ironic look at Tom eclipsing his own fame. That book once landed him in hot water...
Dominic Holland wrote a satirical book about Tom's success — and fans were pissed
In 2013, Dominic penned a tongue-in-cheek memoir about his son's star rising higher than his own, titled Eclipsed: Turns Out, Spider-Man Really Does Have a Dad After All. Six years after the fact, the book was thrust into the spotlight, due to angry fans on Twitter. Stan Twitter went off, thinking that the page-turner was a serious tirade against his son.
Despite the Amazon description for the book noting it was "written with great affection and warmth by a dad who is proud and bemused in equal measure," many fans felt that it was an unfair stab at Tom. The actor, however, hopped on Twitter to defend his dad's work. "The only thing @domholland is jealous of is my golf swing," Tom tweeted in August 2019. "I read eclipsed and loved it and I'm glad you wrote it dad."
Dominic's other written work includes Only in America, The Ripple Effect, A Man's Life, Open Links, and I, Gabriel, the last of which was published in 2019.
Tom Holland maintains close ties with his family
There's no doubt that Tom Holland has a beyond-sweet relationship with his father — he even surprised his dad by flying into Edinburgh for his set — but he also makes sure to keep the rest of his family (his mom and three brothers) just as close to the vest.
When asked about the importance of staying out of the spotlight, Tom revealed (via KoiMoi) that it's easy to "get lost in it," but it's his family who keeps him grounded. "No one will ever say no (to you) and no one will ever tell you anything bad. That is why I keep my brothers, my family very close because they will tell me that I am being a d**k or an idiot," he explained.
He even brought his whole fam to the Avengers: Infinity War premiere, where his brother Sam only praised his famous sibling to Entertainment Tonight. "We're so proud of Tom, he's done so well, and he really couldn't be doing a better job," Sam said. His mom, Nicola Frost, also called the actor a "superhero in real life," drawing a chorus of "aw"s from Tom and his brothers. It doesn't get any cuter than that.