Tom Holland Nearly Quit Acting To Do This Instead
Tom Holland is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. His role as Spider-Man in the Marvel cinematic universe launched him into stardom, but acting has been part of Holland's life for a long time. When he was 9 years old, he was approached for the leading role in "Billy Elliot" on London's West End, which involved two years of training — including learning ballet — according to GQ. He told the magazine that his dance training helps him emote as Spider-Man since the suit obscures his face.
Playing a superhero has been special for Holland because he's always been a huge fan, even if he's sometimes so busy he doesn't know what's going on. "... what's nice for me is that at the end of the day, I grew up a massive fan of these movies," he told GQ in 2019. "So for me to get the chance to work on them but also kind of be in the dark as to the story, I can still kind of enjoy the film just as a fan, you know?"
While it may be surprising right now, as the latest "Spider-Man" film hit the all-time top ten in the domestic box office, Holland wasn't always set on staying in the acting biz.
Tom Holland hit an acting rut
After spending so much of his young life as an actor, Tom Holland was bound to hit a career rut earlier than most. He told GQ that his major rut hit him at 18, right after he was through with Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea." Holland was feeling his oats after that movie, and felt like he didn't need to take auditions seriously anymore — which meant he wasn't getting booked.
So, his mother gave him a backup plan that followed her side of the family's work heritage. "...my mum said, 'Look, you're not getting any work, so you need to go and have a plan B,'" he told GQ. "'I've booked you at this carpentry school in Cardiff. Six-week course. You're gonna go, you're gonna learn to be a carpenter.'" It was while he was in Cardiff that he auditioned for "Spider-Man." Even though he hasn't had to build anything professionally since, Holland said he "loved" learning the trade.
The Oscars hosted by Zendaya and Tom Holland?
Buzz emerged in December 2021 about the possibility of on and offscreen couple Zendaya and Tom Holland hosting the Oscars. It makes sense, as their latest film, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," was 2021's biggest blockbuster of the year, earning over $600 million in the box office, per Seventeen. Still, the two actors aren't exactly busting with the free time to prepare for Oscar hosting duties.
Between the press tour for his new movie "Uncharted" and his TV show "The Crowded Room" for Apple TV+, Holland told The Hollywood Reporter he doesn't have the time right now, but would love to host the Oscars someday. Two minutes after the interview, Holland called the reporter back to announce that he had changed his mind. "Of course, I would host the f***ing Oscars!" Holland said. "I just went to the bathroom and I was looking at myself in the mirror and I was like, 'What kind of f***ing idiot wouldn't host the Oscars?' So yeah," he continued, "if they ask me to, I would, and it would be very fun."
Holland said he would host solo or with a co-host, though couldn't speak for Zendaya as to whether she would consider hosting as a duo. Maybe he could even lend a hand in building the sets for the awards show. We hear he's handy in the carpentry department.