The fourth film in the Marvel franchise, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, opens in the UK on Wednesday July 31 and is forecast to make $1 billion. For star Tom Holland, the movie is a family affair: his wife Zendaya acts alongside him, while his youngest brother, Paddy, worked on the art team.
Holland, 30, praised Zendaya's performance as Michelle "MJ" Jones-Watson, saying: "She is an incredible actress. I think what I love about watching her work is she's just fearless. I think she's the best actor going." He added that having a wife who understands the industry is a lifeline: "It's a wild world. And there are ups and downs. It's so nice to have someone that understands that. You can talk each other down or you can big each other up and it's a lifeline. I couldn't imagine doing what I'd do without her."
A family affair on set
The couple married in secret last month, having started dating in 2020 while filming Spider-Man: No Way Home in Atlanta. Holland made his cinematic debut as Spider-Man in the 2016 Marvel movie Captain America: Civil War, taking over from fellow Brit Andrew Garfield.
Holland has three brothers: twins Sam (a chef), Harry (27), and Paddy (21). In the latest film, Paddy joined him on set. "Paddy is a really talented painter," Holland said. "Also, Harry was my assistant for a long time, which was great. He was super professional and he and I are now running a production company together." All four brothers are patrons of The Brothers Trust, a charity set up in 2017 by their parents to raise funds for various charities.
Grounded upbringing
Holland grew up in Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, with his siblings and parents Dominic (a stand-up comic) and Nikki (a photographer). He credits his father's showmanship for helping him become social: "When we were asked how our day was at school, saying 'good' was never a good enough answer. I think his showmanship really helped us as young kids to become, you know, social. And I think it's really helped me in my life and my career."
He also compared the ease of acting to his father's work as a comedian: "When I go to work, I get picked up. Someone makes my breakfast. Someone hands me the words that I'm supposed to say. Someone will tell me where I'm supposed to stand. Someone dresses me and I'm considered an artist, but so much of that work is done for me. Then backstage, you see comics like my dad take their anoraks off, put their packed lunches on the side. They go out, they nail it, they come in and they head off to the next club."
Recent roles and future projects
Holland recently played Telemachus in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, describing it as "one of the toughest jobs I've ever had" but "a dream come true job working with Chris Nolan. It was just a masterclass in patience, professionalism and confidence."
His next role is playing Fred Astaire in a new biopic by Paddington producer Paul King, set to start filming next year. Already in rehearsals, Holland said: "I've been very nervous about the idea of making the film. It's going to be a huge undertaking. It's a big movie." He recalled his early dancing experience in the West End Billy Elliot stage show from age 11 to 13, and a viral striptease dance to Umbrella on Saturday Night Live. "I get more compliments for that dance than for any piece of work I have ever done," he said.
Reflecting on turning 30, he said: "I'm kind of sad to say goodbye to my 20s, but equally excited to walk into my 30s. I'm really excited to be…a young man on set and experience what that's like. I have some really exciting projects in the pipeline."
