Tom Holland just told on himself (and saved us from toxic masculinity)
On the latest Good Hang, Tom Holland doesn’t just talk about Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. He talks about the moment he realized he had a drinking problem, why he fired himself from doing his own stunts, and how a dress, an umbrella, and Janet Jackson quietly changed his career—and maybe the culture.
“We’ve literally seen each other grow up”
The episode opens with Jacob Batalon (Ned) on Zoom with a dog named Vulpix and a Rolex on his wrist—gifted by Tom. Their friendship, he says, isn’t PR; it’s the real backbone of Peter and Ned’s on-screen chemistry.
“We’ve literally seen each other grow up… At the time we weren’t even allowed to drink alcohol. And now we’re 30.” — Jacob Batalon
The lesson that made him a star
Holland traces his work ethic back to dance class and a car ride with his comedian dad. He once “marked” a routine, thinking he looked cool. His dad corrected him in a line Holland still lives by:
Even if you’re not feeling your best, you need to present as your best. — Tom Holland
That mindset carried into his first feature, The Impossible, where Naomi Watts basically ran a one-woman acting masterclass while surviving what she’s called one of her hardest roles.
She could snap right out of an emotional scene and say, ‘You’re blocking me from the camera.’ I’d move. She’d get right back into it. — Tom Holland
Spider-Man: “It felt like a nightmare”
Getting Spider-Man sounded like a dream. The reality?
It was like, ‘Oh, but now I have to actually do it.’ … Why did I want this? Like this is a nightmare. — Tom Holland
For Brand New Day, he says the franchise is entering a more mature chapter with a message he cares about:
It’s so easy to sit at home of an evening and just scroll through your phone and turn your mind to mush… the message is so important for young people. — Tom Holland
And why does Spider-Man stick with kids?
He’s always asking himself that question of ‘Who am I?’… that youthful experience of finding out who you are as a person. — Tom Holland
The dress, the umbrella, and the culture shift
Host Amy argues that Holland’s viral umbrella dance in a dress did more than entertain—it quietly challenged toxic masculinity. Holland’s memory of the moment is pure showman:
I knew in my body: when I take this suit off, you are going to go nuts. — Tom Holland
When production suggested shorter shorts:
I’m doing enough for the cause. This is still years ahead of its time. — Tom Holland
The Odyssey: IMAX, Matt Damon, and the 3-minute rule
In Nolan’s The Odyssey, Holland plays Telemachus—“a young man feeling an incredible sense of protection towards his mom” while searching for his father, Odysseus (Matt Damon). The IMAX workflow is brutal: the camera rolls for only three minutes before reloading film.
Matt and Anne just stayed there in the moment for 3 minutes maybe before the camera would roll again. It was a masterclass in patience and professionalism. — Tom Holland
He also reveals a rare on-set power move with Zendaya on Brand New Day: they told the director a scene wasn’t working. The director’s response?
Everyone can go home. We’re going to sit down and rewrite this scene. — Tom Holland
“Stop saying ‘please’”
Holland’s American accent is near-perfect, but he still slips. His biggest tell?
Ironically the words that I struggle to say the most is… ‘Spider-Man.’ — Tom Holland
His dialect coach had one note that sums up the UK–US divide:
Stop saying ‘please.’ A kid from New York’s not going to say ‘please’ if you’re asking for a burger. — Tom Holland
And the word that trips Americans up about Brits?
‘Quite’ for Brits means ‘pretty good.’ Americans hear ‘quite good’ as ‘very good.’ — Tom Holland
Sobriety, Bureau, and the shandy save
Holland shares that he quit drinking after it started affecting his work, relationships, and health.
I had a problem and I just couldn’t put it down… it was affecting my professional life, my personal life, and my health.— Tom Holland
The first year was the toughest challenge he’s faced. That gap in social options led to Bureau, his non-alcoholic beer brand—and a new shandy line inspired by his mom and Zendaya, who has never drunk.
She’s never been a drinker… she doesn’t enjoy the stuff that I’m trying to sell. So my mom came up with the idea: do a shandy. — Tom Holland
Flavors: grapefruit, lemon-lime, blackberry yuzu, elderflower.
Turning 30 and the bravest art form
Holland says he’s proud of his 20s and ready to step into his 30s as “a young man on set,” not “the kid.” For comfort and laughter, he goes back to stand-up—honoring his dad’s resilience.
Stand-up is the bravest form of art… they take their anorak off, put their pack lunch on the side, go out, nail it, and head off to the next club. — Tom Holland
This recap is based on Tom Holland’s appearance on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast. For the full episode, click on the YouTube link at the top or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
