Tom Holland says he really does not like Hollywood Published By Alexandra Heilbron on Jul 12, 2023


Tom Holland as Spider-ManSpider-Man star Tom Holland says that even though he loves making movies, he wants to keep his life focused on the things that keep him down to earth. He spoke to Jay Shetty on his On Purpose podcast on Sunday, saying that it felt like a safe space, adding, "Today, doing this is a very rare thing for me to do."

The 27-year-old star also revealed, "Look, I really am a massive fan of making movies but I really do not like Hollywood, it is not for me."

He added, "The business really scares me. I understand that I’m a part of that business, and I enjoy my kind of interactions with it. But that said, I am always looking for ways to kind of remove myself from it, to kind of just live as normal a life as possible."

Tom spoke of friends who've changed, saying, “I’ve seen so many people come before me and lose themselves, and I’ve had friends that I’ve grown up with that aren’t friends of mine anymore, because they’ve lost themselves to this business.

“I just am really, really keen to focus on what makes me happy, which is my family, it’s my friends. It’s my carpentry, my golf, the charity that my mom runs,” he explained. "Like, that is the stuff that makes me really happy, and that’s the stuff that I should protect."

Tom can currently be seen in the Apple TV+ miniseries, The Crowded Room. He's also scheduled to make another Spider-Man sequel, which is due to be released in 2024, and he'll be playing Fred Astaire in a biopic about the legendary actor/singer/dancer. ~Alexandra Heilbron

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Comments & Discussion

  • Dany - 7/13/2023 10:47:29 AM
    Got news for ya Tom, nobody likes Hollywood. They make crappy movies and they make sequel after sequel after sequel..... They don't have an original idea in their brains. All they do is superhero and action movies - movies that don't require a brain. And despite body shaming being frowned on, they keep casting skinny actresses even when they're lousy actors and don't fit the role.
  • jon marlowe - 7/13/2023 2:26:27 PM
    Well guess what hollywood and movie goers dont like you eithe!
  • Heather - 7/13/2023 4:36:13 PM
    I wouldn't say that, Jon. I think he's the best spider-man so far. He started young, and looks younger than he is, so he'll be able to do the role for quite awhile.
  • Cdl - 7/13/2023 5:49:08 PM
    A well grounded individual. Love your work. Don't listen to those making negative comments. They are not worth a moment of time. Be happy. Live a good and honest life.
  • Reign - 7/13/2023 10:47:53 PM
    Finally an actor [celebrity ] that loves family and friends and all that goes with it instead of only money . Nice to hear in this day and age .
  • Debbie - 7/13/2023 10:57:07 PM
    I will make this short and non creative. I agree with the positive comments.
  • Caroline - 7/13/2023 11:09:33 PM
    GO TOM! Lead an authentic life! Inspire us! Inspire people to be their best. Enjoy Life…it is short.
  • Yepp - 7/14/2023 2:50:42 AM
    Just follow your heart, Hollywood only knows about making money. If you need a break you need a break. Loved you as Billy Elliot and Lucas in The Impossible, also great that you care about others in The Brothers Trust. Keep going the way you need to go!
  • Joanne - 7/14/2023 11:08:01 AM
    Wise beyond your years! Success in life is not about money but who you are an authentic and genuine human.
  • BNP - 7/14/2023 2:14:43 PM
    Not surprising your negative feelings about the Hollywood machine. The history of Hollywood growth was pretty controlling and carnivorous as it developed and grew. Good for you on exhibiting solid talent on screen. Make it work for you, then take a bow and live your life.
  • Nikki M. - 7/14/2023 3:06:40 PM
    I agree 100% with Tom. Hollywood is not a nice place, it’s the opposite of being down to earth. They arrogantly believe that the “great “ movies they make have meaning and can capture what life is about or what it can be imagined to be. No amount of movies or any movie ever made or money made can be compared or come close to the value of what it means for an individual life to live their life from moment to moment doing what they love and with those they love. I gave up acting in a heartbeat and have never looked back…btw did 5 auditions and got the part for every one. Once I learned what the people were like and how shallow it was I lost my appetite for acting and it’s there loss. Too bad people in the business put Hollywood on a pedestal that it doesn’t deserve. Don’t ever change Tom, you’re my favorite star in movies and in how you live your life.
  • Tom - 7/15/2023 11:24:48 AM
    Tom, love your outlook on life. Also love your acting. Live well and be happy.
  • Jus - 7/17/2023 11:06:14 AM
    For those who rail against Hollywood. They only make movies that the public demands; unfortunately the public has been dumbed down to accept an explosion as acceptable storytelling. Hollywood is a money making machine that is all.. if the public wants better pictures, then they need to stop going to all the mind numbing stuff. Watch Babettes Feast, My Dinner with Andre, The Sacrifice, Solaris (1962 version),Through a Glass Darkly, Yojimbo, or Ran.. but the public won’t.. they want to watch CGI.. I’m no fan of Hollywood, but they are like McDonald’s.. they are only giving the public the crap they demand.
  • Jus - 7/17/2023 11:08:03 AM
    It was a typo, it should be (1972 Tarkovsky version)
  • Manny - 7/17/2023 3:35:41 PM
    Well said, Jus.
  • Joy - 7/17/2023 3:42:40 PM
    Good for you Tom. As a parent and now grandparent the best days of Hollywood are over. It has become a cesspool of greed and excess. Time for it to look like the back lot that it has become. Enjoy your life and good for you for having the strength to not be sucked in to the darkness.
  • ALLEN McDANIEL - 7/18/2023 7:10:33 PM
    You SEEM to have some substance Tom, but like all the other 'rebels' ......you still like it Just ENOUGH to take their $$$. Doesn't cut the mustard with me. Still like you tho.
  • jon - 7/21/2023 6:02:02 PM
    I dont think that any of you really understand was the talentless person is really saying , you too busy kissing his ass . he has no intension of actully leaving the buissness he is just informiing us that it is not really what he had in mind was he decidedto pursue his dream of becoming an actor which i respectBut putting that aside i really do not think that he is a very good actor .yes he looks young and yes he does fit the peter parker character better than the previos ones but i do not think that he understands the process of acting in general he still has alot to learn both as a person and as a actor!
  • Yepp - 7/23/2023 1:08:36 AM
    Well, I’m not kissing anyone’s behind for that matter, and I don’t even care much about Spiderman - Tom had some really good performances on stage and early on, where unfortunately many of his films are only available for streaming. I can certainly understand how you can get disillusioned by the reality of Hollywood‘s greed when you had just making a good movie in mind. But then, you need to pay your bills, so you stick with what you are doing even if you don’t quite like it. That’s life!

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