Holland's career began at the age of nine when he enrolled in a dancing class. A choreographer noticed him and arranged for him to audition for a role inBilly Elliot the Musical at London'sVictoria Palace Theatre. After two years of training, he secured a supporting part in 2008. Later that year, he was upgraded to the title role, which he played until 2010. Holland made his film debut in the disaster dramaThe Impossible (2012) as a teenage tourist trapped in atsunami; he received critical acclaim and a nomination for theGoya Award for Best New Actor. Holland then decided to pursue acting as a full-time career, appearing inHow I Live Now (2013) and playing historical figures in the filmIn the Heart of the Sea (2015) and the TV miniseriesWolf Hall (2015).
Thomas Stanley Holland was born on 1 June 1996 inKingston upon Thames, in south-westLondon, to photographer Nicola (née Frost) and comedian-authorDominic Holland.[6] He has three younger brothers.[7] His paternal grandmother wasIrish fromCounty Tipperary ofSouthern Ireland and his paternal grandfather wasManx from theIsle of Man.[8][9][10] He lives in Kingston upon Thames, near the house of his parents and younger brothers.[11] As his parents have creative professions, he is often inspired by them;[12] he considers his father a role model who has unofficially worked as his manager due to his experience in the industry.[13][14]
Growing up, Holland considered several career choices. As a child, he was a fan ofJanet Jackson songs and often danced to them. His mother signed him up for a dancing class advertised in the private school Holland was visiting at the time.[16][17] In his teens, Holland briefly attended carpentry school inCardiff, Wales.[20] He also considered becoming a primary school teacher, as he enjoys being around children.[14]
At age nine, Holland began dancing at ahip hop class at Nifty Feet Dance School in Wimbledon, where he performed with his school group at the 2006 Richmond Dance Festival. There, he was spotted by choreographer Lynne Page, an associate toPeter Darling, choreographer ofBilly Elliot the Musical. Page arranged an audition for Holland, where the musical's directorStephen Daldry thought that he "had great potential and was a very natural actor".[21] After two years of training in ballet, tap dancing and acrobatics,[13] Holland won the role of Michael Caffrey, the protagonist's best friend, and made his debut performance at theWest End'sVictoria Palace Theatre in June 2008.[22] During his time performing in the musical, Holland learned gymnastics.[23] Holland says when his peers at school found out about his dancing activities, they started bullying him.[17]
Later in 2008, Holland and co-star Tanner Pflueger were promoted to the lead role in the musical.[24] On his first day playing Elliot, Holland developedtonsillitis but performed on stage anyway to positive reviews; he went to the doctor the next day.[1] Following his stage success, Holland hoped to be popular in school and that his schoolmates would stop bullying him. After being in a professional environment, he matured earlier than his peers and struggled to fit in. As a result, hisGCSE grades suffered.[17] After his work onBilly Elliot the Musical finished in 2010,[25] Holland voiced a role in the British dub of the Japanese animated fantasy filmArrietty (2011),[26] and sent an audition tape toJuan Antonio Bayona for a part inThe Impossible (2012). Bayona then arranged a meeting, and had Holland write a letter to his mother and recite it as an audition. Impressed with his emotional delivery, Bayona cast Holland in the film.[27]
Holland appeared in four episodes ofBBC Two's historical miniseriesWolf Hall (2015), asGregory Cromwell, son of the protagonistThomas Cromwell played byMark Rylance.[39] He directedTweet (2015), a 3-minute short film about a young man building a birdhouse with his grandfather;[27] Holland later expressed an interest in directing feature films in his 40s.[12] Also in 2015, Holland co-starred as the teenage sailorThomas Nickerson inRon Howard's historical adventure-dramaIn the Heart of the Sea. The film is based onthe namesake 2000 non-fiction book about the sinking of the Americanwhaling shipEssex in 1820. In preparation, he and co-stars, includingChris Hemsworth, lost significant weight, consuming 500–1,000 calories a day. Holland performed most of his stunts in the film.[40]In the Heart of the Sea received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $93 million against a $100 million budget.[41][42] Brian Truitt of theUSA Today wrote that Holland "does a good job".[43]
Holland's second film in 2017 was his solo feature as the title character inSpider-Man: Homecoming. As a result, Holland earned an entry inGuinness Book of World Records as the youngest actor to play a title role in the MCU.[64] Though Holland took some inspiration from previous Spider-Man actorsTobey Maguire andAndrew Garfield, he wanted to add some newness in his reinterpretation of the character.[65]Homecoming focused on Parker, as he tries to balance being a high-school student and a superhero.[66] To prepare, Holland attendedThe Bronx High School of Science inthe Bronx for a few days,[67] although other students did not believe he was cast as Spider-Man. Holland felt this situation reflected the film's story, in which other characters are unaware that Parker is Spider-Man.[68]Homecoming and Holland's performance received positive reviews.[69]Peter Travers called it "a star performance given by a born actor".[70] Made on a budget of $175million, the film grossed over $800 million worldwide.[71] Holland's final role in 2017 was in the Irish filmPilgrimage, which premiered at theTribeca Film Festival.[72] Outside film that year, Holland appeared withZendaya onParamount Network'sLip Sync Battle, during which he performedRihanna's "Umbrella" in drag.[73] His parents founded The Brothers Trust, a charitable organisation, which aims to use his popularity to raise funds for humanitarian causes.[74]
AlongsideAvengers co-starSebastian Stan, Holland starred inAntonio Campos'sThe Devil All the Time (2020), aNetflix psychological thriller set afterWorld War II. Holland said he initially worried that he lacked the depth to play a young orphaned man who goes on a killing spree, and was scared and nervous on his first day on set. Encouraged by Campos, he ultimately enjoyed playing the part, although it took a temporary toll on his mental health.[87] Campos praised Holland's effort to learnSouthern American English for the role, described his acting process as "methodical", "thoughtful and sensitive",[88] and called him a kind person.[88] Critics fromIndieWire andRoger Ebert's website opined that despite the film's failed script, Holland gave a convincing performance and showed his range as an actor.[89][90] By November 2020, the film was the 22nd-most watched straight-to-streaming title of the year, according to aVariety report.[91]
Holland starred in three films that were released in 2021. His first, the crime dramaCherry, is based onthe 2018 novel by American authorNico Walker, and reunited him withAvengers directors Russo brothers.[92] He played a college student withpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after enlisting in the army, and robs banks to finance his drug addiction. In preparation for the role, Holland shaved his head and interviewedmilitary veterans undergoing treatments for substance abuse and PTSD.[30] He also lost 30 pounds (14 kg) of weight, then regained it after filming.[93] The film was released in cinemas in February and digitally onApple TV+ in March.[94] Consensus among critics was that the film enabled Holland to broaden his horizons as an actor, but it had a formulaic story.[95] This was echoed byOwen Gleiberman ofVariety who further noted that Holland proved his skills as an actor and demonstrated a range of indulgent looks and moods.[96] Holland next played alongsideDaisy Ridley as a young man living on a planet called New World inChaos Walking, an adaptation ofPatrick Ness's best-selling science fiction seriesof the same name. The film was delayed due to several reshoots in early 2019, which added $15million to its budget, bringing its cost to $100million.[97]Chaos Walking failed to recoup its budget and received poor reviews.[98][99] David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter found the chemistry between Holland and Ridley lackluster, and Christian Holub ofEntertainment Weekly noted his failed attempt to break away from roles similar to Spider-Man.[100][101]
In November 2021, Holland voicedPercy Pig in a series of advertisements forMarks & Spencer's Christmas food specials.[102] The following month, Holland reprised his role as Peter Parker in the sequelSpider-Man: No Way Home.[103] After taking on mature roles in films likeCherry, Holland noted that he found it strange adjusting back to playing Parker, chiefly due to raising his voice pitch and returning to the mindset of a "naïve, charming teenager".[104] He describedNo Way Home as the "most ambitious standalone superhero movie ever made".[30] Despite its release during theCOVID-19 pandemic,No Way Home quickly emerged asthe highest-grossing film of 2021 and the sixth highest-grossing film of all time. It also became the first film since 2019'sStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to earn more than $1billion at the box-office.[105]No Way Home became the highest-ratedSpider-Man film on the online databaseIMDb and the review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes.[106] Wendy Ide ofThe Guardian wrote that the film "delivers an overflowing, funnel-web cornucopia of treats for Spider-fans" and attributed Parker's continuing appeal to "his endearing, puppyish enthusiasm".[107]The Times'Kevin Maher opined that Holland "own[s] every inch of the role" and "casts his web and captures your heart".[108]
2022–present: Established actor and career expansion
Discussing his future as Spider-Man afterNo Way Home, Holland toldGQ in 2021 that he was doubtful about reprising the role, especially after he turns 30 in 2026. He expressed a desire to see a live-actionSpider-Man film withMiles Morales as the protagonist, whereas Amy Pascal spoke of wanting Holland to continue playing the role.[1] Holland began the following year with an investment in Dogpound gyms,[109] and a starring role as a youngNathan Drake, a charismatic fortune hunter, inthe film adaptation ofNaughty Dog'sUncharted video game series.[110] In preparation for scenes where his character is bartending, Holland worked shifts at theChiltern Firehouse, a pub in London. Though the filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Holland continued to eat and train for the role.[1] WhileUncharted polarised critics, Rebecca Rubin ofVariety wrote that Holland's star-power likely contributed to its box-office success.[111][112] In a mixed review for his performance, Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert's website labelled him miscast, writing that "Holland has the agility but quite simply lacks the weight and world-weariness needed" for the role.[113]
In 2024, Holland created his own production company, named Billy17, and landed a deal withSony Pictures.[121] Among his upcoming films, he will star inChristopher Nolan's filmThe Odyssey, an adaptation of the epic poem theOdyssey, written byHomer.[122][123][124] In 2025, Holland called the film the best experience of his career up to that point, he stated "I couldn’t have asked for a better job. And I’m so proud of the work I’ve done. I came to work every day with a real sense of purpose and a point to prove, and I’m so grateful for Chris to have given me that opportunity."[125] Holland will then star in the fourth Spider-Man film,Spider-Man: Brand New Day.[126] In September 2025, Holland was briefly hospitalized after sustaining a concussion while filmingSpider-Man: Brand New Day, leading to a temporary pause in production.[127]
Nadia Khomami ofThe Guardian said that Holland's "cheeky British charm, vulnerability and wit" has made him the object of infatuation on the internet.[13] Jonathan Dean ofThe Sunday Times considered him to be "poised and professional, but also so confident and personable" and took note of his maturity "despite boyish wiriness".[17] German actorSönke Möhring, his co-star fromThe Impossible, similarly remarked on his professionalism, adding, "he is blessed with a deep soul [...] down to earth, very polite and a friendly kid."[13]Kevin Macdonald, who directed Holland inHow I Live Now, praised him as confident, "articulate and enthusiastic", and attributed Holland's success to his positive energy.[13] When asked about the secret to his success, Holland said he believes in avoiding trouble and working hard.[64]
Holland appeared onScreen International's "UK Stars of Tomorrow – 2012",[128] andThe Hollywood Reporter's "Next Gen 2015", a list of promising newcomers in film.[129] In 2019, he featured onForbes' "30 Under 30 Europe", a list of influential people under 30 years,[130] andInsider Inc.'s "45 young stars who will one day rule Hollywood".[131] After appearing onGlamour's "Hot, Young & British Actors 2020",[132] he was named among the best actors under 30 by Tuko,[133] andComplex Networks in 2021.[134] In the former listing, Ryan Mutuku described him as "a darling to the English media" because of his openness and willingness to also give interviews not related to film promotions.[133] Calling him "his generation's biggest leading man" in 2021,GQ's Oliver Franklin-Wallis wrote, "Holland has ascended to a tier of stardom few actors ever reach, and rarely so young".[1]Variety editors Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin reported in December 2021 that after the success of theSpider-Man films, Holland could become a top-paid actor in the future. They noted the current lack of young leading men in Hollywood and saw Holland's potential to herald a new generation of successful actors.[135] Holland is one of thehighest-grossing film actors in the world; his films as a lead have grossed more than $9.9billion worldwide according toThe Numbers.[136]
Holland considers himself to be "an impossible people pleaser",[1] which according to Olivia Singh ofBusiness Insider has resulted in his facingburnout and an incident where he vomited after a press conference.[137] A self-admittedly indiscreet person, Holland has gained a reputation for inadvertently spoiling important plot elements of his films during interviews and press conferences.[138] His MCU co-stars labelled him the "least trustworthy" cast member in terms of spoilers.[139] To prevent an incident, he only read parts ofCaptain America: Civil War's script.[138] Joe Russo similarly avoided giving Holland the script toAvengers: Endgame, and Holland knew only his lines.[140]
Holland has expressed his views on the film industry. In a 2019 interview withThe Sunday Times, he spoke for more representation of racial minorities and theLGBT community in film.[17] That year, when filmmakerMartin Scorsese criticised Marvel films for their lack of portraying human emotions, Holland highlighted that Scorsese has never made one, so he may not fully understand the experience. Holland stated that the key difference between a Marvel film and an award-winning one is budget, not the artistic process. He emphasized that Marvel films are still "real art" and noted that comparing Marvel blockbusters toindependent films is unfair, as they reach vastly different audiences.[141]
Personal life
Holland describes himself as a private person and is reluctant to discuss his personal life.[1] He has also discussed having frequent episodes ofsleepwalking andsleep paralysis nightmares ofpaparazzi in his bedroom.[1][142] He is a fan of the professional football clubTottenham Hotspur.[143]
He had been in a relationship with hisSpider-Man co-star,Zendaya, for some time before publicly acknowledging it in November 2021; he later discussed that he felt that the consistent media attention it received breached their privacy.[1] The couple moved into a £3million home in London together in 2023.[144] They became engaged in December 2024.[145][146]
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