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This episode is brought to you by ebay. Lately, more and more people have been talking about selling on ebay, and we can see why. Everyone has stuff that no longer fits their lives. And selling on ebay is actually really easy. Just snap a few photos, write a description, and set a price. Suddenly, the stuff that's just been sitting around is in front of millions of buyers already searching for what's next. Find what you love. Sell what you don't on ebay. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I am very excited. We have a movie star with us today. We have a superstar, and that is Tom Holland. Tom Holland, who is in two of the biggest movies to come out this summer, the Odyssey and Brand New Day. I think they're coming out in the same month. He's a legend. He's the best. And we talk about so many great things. We talk about your dad roasting your friends. We talk about the joy of dancing. We talk about doing American accents. And I tell him that I believe that he is the type of man that will save us from toxic masculinity. So he takes on that responsibility like a good man does. So cannot wait to get started. But before we do, we always talk to somebody who knows our guests. And we speak to Jacob Batalon today. Jacob, who plays Ned in Spider man, is Tom's really good friend in real life. I mean, they grew up together. On set, you guys, so. So let's get Jacob on the line here, and I'm gonna get my headphones, and we'll check in. Jacob, are you there? This episode of Good Hang is presented by Paul Mollie. Family time isn't just the big moments. It's weeknight dinners. Sitting around the table, everyone talking at once. So when the plates are empty and the sink is full, use Palmolive Ultra. Palmolive's most powerful formula removes up to 99.9% of grease, leaving your dishes sparkling clean. And the new convenient pump makes cleaning even easier, so you can spend less time tackling dirty dishes and more time together. Shop now@palmolive.com. get up. What do you say? All I ever wanted. Hey, Jacob. Hey.
B
Hey, what's going on?
A
Mahalo.
B
Oh, my God.
C
Hey.
A
Hi.
B
What's going on? I'm so sorry. My dog is, like, not leaving me alone.
A
Not at all. Let's talk about this dog. For people that can't see this dog. What kind of dog we got here?
B
She's a multi poo. So she's.
A
She's so cute. She's.
B
Well Groomed. Yeah, she's pretty. She just got a haircut and she's. I swear to God, she was, like, not bothering me the whole day, and then as soon as she sees me on Zoom, she's like, oh, it's fucking time to get. To get going.
A
We love dogs on Zoom. We love dogs. What's her. What's her name?
B
Her name is Vulpix. Like the Pokemon? Yeah.
A
Amazing.
B
Yeah. So there's that.
A
Jacob, it is so nice to talk to you.
B
Oh, thank you so much for having me. This is so awesome. I literally need to get the gushing out of the way. Pause. I literally. I love you so much. This is so great. I'm such a big fan of you.
A
Thank you very, very much for saying that. I have two teenage boys, and they're kind blown away that I'm talking to you today.
B
Amazing. Oh, that's really nice.
A
You're very, very famous, and. And they love your work, as do I. And I love. I love. Like, I will just say, and I feel it already in the work that you do, the. Your spirit comes through.
B
Oh, thank you so much. That means a lot, Amy. Thank you.
A
Of course. It's really kind. And. And. And may I say, like, it's also just. It's very Hawaiian.
B
I appreciate it. Yeah. I mean, hopefully people are still proud of me back home.
A
Well, there is this thing. This, like, there. Very hard to pin down or, like, explain it. Almost like explaining it ruins it, but about Hawaiian people and culture. But, I mean, I just have to say thank you for your energy and Hawaii and their energy, because it means a lot. We're thrilled to talk to you today because you and Tom Holland, our guests, who I've never had the pleasure to meet and can't wait to meet, are genuinely really good friends.
B
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think it's not hyperbole to say that we've literally seen each other grow up, and I'm obviously proud of who he's become and, like, what he's done with his life and where he's gone, his career as well. But it's crazy. You know, at the time, we weren't even allowed to drink alcohol.
A
Yeah.
B
And now we're 30.
A
I know. I mean, in researching for today the fact that when you guys got the parts, you were 18, 19.
B
Yeah.
C
Yeah.
B
We're about to.
A
And frankly, signing a contract that was like, we're gonna do a lot of movies with you, and it's gonna be the next 10 years of your life. I mean, that is a big decision to make at that age. And boy, you're gambling that the person you're working with, hopefully is not a dick, Right?
C
Exactly.
A
Did you guys read together, audition together and read together?
B
Yeah. So I had done like the traditional thing of. Well, I think self tapes at the time were still kind of new, so I did a couple of those. And then we did a screen test together for the first time. And I think ever since that time back in 2016, I think that the chemistry was pretty apparent. And at that time, I don't remember a lot. I feel like for me, that was my first ever job. And so that kind of big audition and coming in, it was all literally such a blur that I barely remember what we said to each other. I just remember thinking like, God, I really hope. Hope I have a job after school. But it was just like such a great time with him. Cause he was such a easygoing person and he made it so light. And at that time, John Watts, our director at the time, really made it a point for us to really bond. And it was such a beautiful sort of story of two friends coming together out of nowhere.
A
Yes. I mean, you can just tell that you two really love and enjoy each other. And the movie hinges a lot on Peter and Ned's relationship.
B
Yeah, absolutely. I think Tom is also very. He's big on like making those relationships feel real. And like that's kind of the backbone of Peter Parker's story. So I think he was also a very big proponent of making sure those relationships make sense and that it works.
A
Yeah, I mean, it goes deeper, you know, to this. Just this idea of like, male friendships and how they're important, they are, and how men really need friends.
B
Yeah, absolutely. Like the. I don't want to advocate like male loneliness or anything, but like, yeah, it's
A
a real thing to have somebody that, you know, has your back and that also can kind of be with you through the tough times.
B
Absolutely.
A
In this new movie, I mean, there are some tough times because you guys all forget that you know each other and you have to kind of. You have to learn to figure out what's great about each other again. It's a cool metaphor.
B
Yeah, it's really cool. And hopefully, hopefully it works out for him. Usually Spider Man's life is not great.
C
So.
A
Now, did you grow up as a big fan of Marvel and comic books and these characters?
B
You know, I gotta say, I was more of a Power Ranger guy. Power Rangers, definitely my thing.
A
Yes.
B
But I think.
A
What did you like about Power Rangers?
B
I think it's Just like the colored leotards.
A
Sure.
B
And just, like, their cool helmets. Because I know that obviously it wasn't them doing the fight scenes, but it was still super cool.
C
I really.
B
I really got into superhero stuff. Like, actually when Tobey Maguire was doing Spider man, and I think a lot of us, for people who were, like, millennials, I think that was like our. That was like, our guy.
A
Yeah.
B
I remember when I first saw Spider Man, I thought, like, how did this guy do all of this stuff?
A
Yeah.
B
And then I see Tom doing all this stuff by himself, and it's, like, insane. Like, it's actually crazy to be, you know, again, 30. Like, like, not that 30 is old or anything, but, like, when he was 19, he would get knocked down and come right back up. And now, like, you know, he needs a couple days.
A
Jacob, I want to talk about this with him today because I'd like him to stop.
B
It's. I'm telling it, like, is. He's.
A
That's enough.
B
Doing something just too dangerous for his body. Like, you know, there's stunt doubles for a reason. Yeah.
A
Okay. This isn't gonna go over well, but I don't even think should there should be any stunts at all in any movies.
B
He's just, like, doing, like, taxes. Yeah, he just does his taxes, almost. Yeah.
A
Yeah, exactly. Yes. Peter learns to do his taxes, and Ned helps him, and they go get ice cream as a little treat, and then they watch a movie and they. That's. That's what I want to see.
B
And then that's how the movie ends at. That would actually be very beautiful. I think it was very.
A
And they just put ice on some of their old injuries.
B
Yeah, yeah. Like, especially on their knees. My knees are hurting. Oh, my goodness.
A
Yeah, they put some ice on their knees and maybe, I don't know, they call, like, you know, they get food delivered and they just chill.
B
Oh, my God. You know, my Mrs. This is so random, but she put me on to putting, like, heat pads on my lower back. Oh, my God.
A
It's not random, babe. Let's talk about it.
C
Heat.
A
Heat on your lower back. I mean, I'm lying on a heating pad all day.
B
I could sleep in all day now.
A
But you want. You want me to blow your mind right behind me.
B
Yeah.
A
I'm going to show you this. Right behind me. I have a heating. You put this in the microwave.
B
Oh, yes, right.
A
And you can wrap it on, oh, I don't know, your shoulder or your lower back. It's incredible.
B
I am literally. This is how I Know, like, I'm so turned on by that. I genuinely want to buy one now.
A
Oh, I'm gonna send you one.
C
Oh, thank you.
A
Before we get to your question for Tom, just let's talk a little bit more about what's so great about him. What's so great about him?
B
Yeah, you know, I think again, from the first time I met him, he's just been so. He'd been so welcoming and so nice to me, and obviously, like, he had done a few things before I had, and he was really willing to be there for me and support me. And there's a lot of times earlier in my career where I didn't really know what I was doing, just in general. You know, I have, like, a whole team of people to help me through that stuff, but at the same time, I think just dealing with, like, the sort of actory part of it, I think he was always there to be supportive of me, and I know him, like, as a person. Like, I just know he would never talk dirty behind my back.
C
Yeah.
A
Yeah.
B
He's just an amazing, like, good person like that. And I don't want to flex too hard, but he just bought me this little rolly. I wanted to wear it for him, you know, because that's my boy for life. And I hope he doesn't mind that I told everyone that, but.
A
Well, he's very British, so he'll probably be a little embarrassed.
B
Super embarrassed. But we're.
A
But we can flash it a little bit. That's a real friend.
B
You know what?
A
Not one of my friends has ever bought me a Rolex.
B
I think. I think this is your sign, Amy. You got to reassemble, you know, you gotta, like, re. Bunch them up.
A
It's really making me feel like, do I even have friends?
B
That's what I. That's what I said. I was like, you know, I just. This is also, like, another side piece to my story. I just had a bachelor party in Vegas, and it was so fun. It was the greatest time ever. And it just, like, I showed everyone this watch, and they were all like, oh, that's a great watch. And I'm like, yeah, one of my closest friends got it for me. So, you know,
A
Oh, man, Jacob, that's so awesome.
B
But he's. He's truly just an amazing person. And, like, I can't tell you, like, the. The way he carries himself, I mean, just professionally and. And like, you know, in his personal life, he just makes sure that everyone around him is, like, comfortable. But he also. He also doesn't Take, you know, from anybody. He's very. He very stands on. On himself and for his people. And I think I try to carry that with myself in my own personal life because he's. He's really been a great role model to me, and this is probably the most. I've talked really great about him.
A
Yeah, well, because, like, I think a lot of you probably give each other a lot of, you know, that's what friends.
B
I think we talk a lot more to each other than we do. Like, I do love him to death, though. Like, I know that he only ever shows me love, so.
A
Oh, thank you so much for saying that. And do you have a question? Do you think I should ask him today? Something he would want to talk about? A story or something that you think would be good?
B
Oh, my gosh. If he would want to. I think you should ask him about the Boiling Rock Part one.
C
Fantastic.
B
I think that'll put a smile on his face.
A
The Boiling Rock Part one.
B
Part one. Yes. That is definitely some Jacob and Tom inside stuff.
A
Okay, perfect. And maybe he'll say no comment and that will be fine too. Yes.
B
See what it is. Yeah.
A
Perfect. I mean, this is the kind of scoop we need. Well, congratulations on your impending marriage.
B
Oh, thank you so much. I appreciate it.
A
Thank you. You really are heading into your 30s with, like a tight lower back and a fancy watch and a new bride.
B
It's pretty amazing. It's a pretty good way to get in.
A
It's been so nice talking to you.
B
It's so great to meet you.
A
Thank you again for your work. I really mean it. That the relationship that you guys have, you know, it's. Especially for young men who are men and women who are watching it, it's really important to show those kind of relationships. And so thanks for your work and such a pleasure talking to you.
B
Yeah, thank you. Hope to see you soon.
A
I hope so, Jacob. I hope so.
B
All right.
A
Okay. Take care.
B
All right, speak to you soon.
A
Bye.
B
Okay, bye. Bye.
A
This episode is brought to you by Subaru. Most cars just stick to the asphalt. But hybrids can be found on dirt roads, back roads, and everything in between. Because the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and Subaru 4 Forester Hybrid were built for adventure with up to 597 miles per tank in the Crosstrek Hybrid and 581 miles in the Forester Hybrid. Love goes the extra mile in the Subaru Forester Hybrid and CrossTrek Hybrid. Visit subaru.com hybrid to learn more. Maximum range based on EPA Estimated Combined Fuel Economy and a full tank of fuel. Actual mileage and range may vary. Tom, I just want to start by saying I know you're British, so I will not compliment you that much.
C
Fantastic. Great stuff.
A
We'll get to teasing pretty fast, but you are the probably the biggest movie star that we've had on. Good hang. You are my Tom Cruise. You are.
C
Oh, fantastic. Wow. Thank you so much.
A
What a great start to that. I think you are saving movies and I think you are an incredible, immense talent.
C
Thank you very much.
A
And I love your work.
C
Oh, that's very sweet of you. Thank you.
A
And I'm so happy that you wanted to. Let's drink. Let's drink after that. But I was so happy that you wanted to come on because you're like a huge part of our family's experience in movies. I have two teenage boys. They are huge fans of your work and as am I. And I think the way you approach your work and the way you approach who you work with and how you work is really very, very special.
C
Thank you.
A
And then compliments. Done.
C
Done.
B
Yeah.
C
Now criticism.
A
Yes. So you grew Southwest six.
C
You're short as fuck. Thank you, Amy.
A
Well, you know, I'm a shorty, so I never even know how tall anybody is. I think everybody's tall. You're a southwest London boy.
C
Yes.
A
And growing up with two artist parents. Comedian dad.
C
Yeah, my dad is a stand up. Yeah. My mom is a photographer.
A
Okay, so what is your house like? Like, what are you guys laughing at? Because I'm kind of obsessed with the fact that UK and us, like, there are big, big things that we love that we don't know about each other's comedy.
C
Right. It's interesting. I mean, my dad obviously being a stand up. What was so interesting as a kid is that I always thought he was just unemployed because he was always around. Like, he would put us to bed and then he would go off and do his job. He was either a comedian or Batman. Like, I had no idea what my dad did at night. Yeah, that's great. So it was just a lot of fun. And my dad was always really keen for us, us to all contribute to the family dinner as much as each other. You know, there's telling stories. How was your day at school? Like, good was never a good enough answer. It was always like, well, tell me why your day was good or tell me why your day was bad. And 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. What I ended up doing. The tough thing about having a comedian as a parent, as I'm sure your kids will know, is that no one that you bring to the house is safe. Like any of my mates that come over when we were kids, my dad would just rinse them and it was like, it was almost like he was using dinner as like a warm up to go out and do a show that night.
A
Oh, this is going to, this is going to hit home.
C
So it was always that we had an amazing childhood and my parents are such wonderful people. I really admire both of them. You know, my mom in the way that she continued working but was also like the most hands on. Yeah, mom. And then my dad the same. My dad was like. I said he would only work when we were asleep.
A
Yeah.
C
So he was always there. He took us to school, he would take us out after school.
A
Four. There's four boys in your family?
C
There's four of us, yeah.
A
You're the oldest.
C
I'm the oldest. Probably not the most intelligent of the four of us. My brother Harry is pretty okay. Sharp.
A
Harry Sharp. Is there any of the four that are introverted?
C
I think Patty is slightly introverted.
A
Yeah.
C
Patty is the youngest. He's a really talented painter. Yeah. So he's really kind of got into this world of like sitting up in his bedroom and you're like, what's Paddy doing? And then he comes downstairs with this canvas. It's amazing. He actually worked on Spider Man 4 in the art department.
A
Oh, that's cool. I'm curious about birth order because I'm the oldest as well and being the oldest is like there is a responsibility.
C
Yes, it is. Just set an example.
A
One of your brothers was worked on, like was your assistant during one of the films.
C
Yeah, Harry was my assistant for a long time, which was actually great. You know, when I hired him I was a little nervous about.
A
Yeah.
C
My asking my brother for a coffee and him being like off, you're younger, like what are you doing? I'm getting you a coffee.
A
But he came around.
C
Yeah, he came around. He was great. He was super professional and him and I now are running a production company together.
A
Oh, that's great.
C
And trying to sort of revitalize that mid budget movie and. And you know, really try and put those movies back on the map.
A
What is it like to be in a house with four boys? It's wild.
C
I mean that's more a question for my poor mum. I think when Paddy came along, there is a video somewhere of his birth video. And he comes out and his balls are so red. And I think you can hear my dad go, oh, for God's sake.
A
Also, I mean, your mom probably would. Would deny this to the. You know, to the day she dies. But when you're having a fourth child and you've had three boys, maybe you're like, maybe this one would be a girl.
C
Yeah, I think that was the intention.
A
Yeah.
C
And listen, I want to just, just say that I love my brother Paddy to absolute death. He is the best.
A
He's the youngest.
C
He can take it. He can take it. And bless him as the youngest. He is the butt of every joke. I remember once we had this huge argument when we were kids. Huge argument. And we were outside and sometimes our parents were like, go outside and you figure it out. The three of you don't fight, but just get it off your chest. And then like a week later I said to my dad, I'd, like, really got into air rifles for some reason. I was like, dad, I really want an air Rif. He was like, did you see that argument you had the other day? He was like, no, you can't have an air rifle. Yeah, but. Yeah, our house was carnage. Pure carnage. But like, in a good way.
A
Like broken things. Like broken. Like there is a feeling when you have a lot of boys where you have to just kind of say goodbye to nice things.
C
I think so.
A
Yeah.
C
What I have come to realize, though, now that I have gotten older and moved out and all of my brothers have moved out, that my parents were really keen for us to be tidy.
A
Yeah.
C
But since I've all. We've all moved out, we have all realized that we were not the problem. It is my parents that were the problem.
A
They were the ones. They were the ones.
C
They were the messy ones.
A
Are you still messy? Are you messy?
C
I, ah. This is a bit of a tough one because I live on two sides of the world.
A
Yes.
C
We live in London and we live here in la and in London, I am really keen to keep everything really tidy.
A
But when you come to America, you just let it all go.
C
I just, I feel like I'm a guest when I'm here.
B
Wow.
A
You know what we don't appreciate?
C
I know, I know. I should maybe change my ways a little.
A
The thought of you guys working it out in your house makes me feel like, as brothers, makes me think about you as a young person because we. We started to get to know you as a young person dancing in. On the West End in Billy Elliot and like the Way in which you had freedom to move felt like that just came from your house, Right.
C
Yeah.
A
Right.
C
My parents were always huge fans of dancing, and all of us were sent to this kind of Saturday school. It was called Nifty Feet. It was this kind of really fun little street dance kind of class. And we would do these shows every summer at the ballet school down the road. And my parents loved it. It, like, it was such a fun.
A
Yeah.
C
Time. And I remember it's so funny how there are conversations that you have in your life that really shape you as a person. And I remember one dance class or something, my parents would come and watch every single time. They were always there watching. And I guess maybe I was having a bad day or something, and. And I was marking all the routines. And on the way home, I thought that I had been really cool in the way that I had marked it. It was like, oh, I don't care. I don't need to try that hard. And I remember this conversation I had with my dad where he was talking about doing your best, and even if you're not feeling your best, you need to present as your best. And it's such a. It's so interesting how, you know, that simple little conversation I had in the back of his car has been so important to me as an adult and a professional. And I think about that conversation a lot.
A
It's so interesting you say that because that is, like, a hard lesson for kids of a certain age to learn, that trying is cool.
C
Totally.
A
But it's a. It's. It's so vulnerable.
C
Yeah.
A
Look like you care.
C
Yeah.
A
And it is our instinct to just. I did it as an adult, too. Like, there were times in my career where I would be nervous, so I would just get kind of, like, sleepy and ambivalent.
B
Yeah.
C
Yeah, yeah. Right. You're like, I don't really care about this.
A
Like, you know, auditioning for the Coen Brothers, just being, like, yawning in the middle of it because I was nervous, like. And it is a hard lesson to learn. But that is what is the difference between, I think, like, great performances as people show that they care.
C
Totally. And it's that idea that failing if you tried is better than failing if you didn't try.
A
Yeah, for sure.
C
You know, because then you don't feel bad about it. You're like, at least I did my best. Just wasn't meant to be.
A
Little Tom Holland dancing. Could watch it all day. Janet Jackson.
C
Yes.
A
You love.
C
I love Janet Jackson so, so much.
A
Let's talk about Janet, for a second.
C
Oh, man, she's just electric.
A
She's so talented. And then we grew up, like Jan X grew up with Janet. Janet was first on TV as a little young actress on Good Times, doing, like, very heavy material. And then Janet, of course, Michael. But Janet, we were like, okay, Michael's sister, Janet. And then Janet was her own. Just incredible artist who had huge hits. Huge. And was an incredible dancer, to be
C
perfectly honest with you. I really feel like if you asked me to list five people that have been integral in the success of my career, she would be one of them.
A
Have you ever met her?
C
I've never met her, no. But if I didn't, she's here. Yeah.
A
Can you imagine? Oh, my God, Janet, come on out.
C
But if I didn't show that I had an understanding of, like, rhythm, my mom would have never got me into dancing. And if I didn't get into dancing, I would never have been spotted to audition for this show. And if I didn't do that show, I wouldn't have got an agent. And, you know, it was never something that I sought out. I never wanted to be an actor. It was never, like, I sat down with my parents and was like, I have this dream of being famous. So if it hadn't been for that song when I was a kid, I probably wouldn't be sat here today. Which is kind of crazy, isn't it?
A
Crazy. I was talking to Billie. Eilish was here, and we were talking about how she was, like, you know, getting ready to compete in all of her dancing competitions. I just saw this clip and then, like, got hurt and then her song became. But I do feel like I have a strong love and passion for dancing. I feel like dancing is, first of all, it feels like magic when people can do it. Well, it feels like something spiritual, but also I love it just personally, because it's very good for my nervous system.
C
Yeah.
A
Like, it is this thing where if you can shake it out and move, you can calm yourself, whatever. It is this really primal thing that I think opens the door to all different types of creativity.
C
Totally agree. Yeah.
A
So what is your relationship to dancing right now? How often do you dance? Where do you dance?
C
It comes at a very interesting time because last week I did my first dance rehearsal for the Fred Astaire movie that we're doing in my next year. It's funny, like, I. I don't find myself getting that nervous anymore for things, you know, because you do it so often and it becomes second nature, and it feels like another day at the office. But. But I went to Pineapple Dance Studios, which is where I trained as a kid when we were doing Billy Elliot. I was with the director of the movie and the choreographer of the movie.
B
Wow.
C
And I was petrified because I'd been telling this guy, this director, Paul King, I said, don't worry, bro. Like, I can dance, babe.
A
I'm not one of those actors. Yeah, yeah.
C
Like, I'm a dancer. Dancer.
A
I was on the West End. Okay.
C
Right. And we get there, and it's a, you know, a bare room with a hardwood floor. I've got tap shoes on. First time I've worn tap shoes in 15 years.
A
Wow.
C
And immediately I'm like, wow, my feet feel like shit. Yeah. These hurt. Yeah. And he kind of was a little bit like,
A
okay, okay, do your thing.
C
Show me what you got. And I. I went over to the computer and I Googled the. The Billy Elliot music and was like, I'm either gonna do something amazing here, or I'm really gonna shoot myself in the foot.
A
Yeah.
C
And I played the song. And what was so amazing is how it really does live in you. You know, like, the music started, and then it all started coming back, and I could see the lights, I could see the audience. And without even having to think of what the first step was, it just happened naturally. Now, if I did the dance like I did last week in front of my Billy Elliot choreographers when I was a kid, they probably would have buried me.
A
Yeah.
C
Because it was horrendous.
A
They'd have a lot of mess.
C
But it was really. It was really exciting. And I've been very nervous about the idea of making that film just because, you know, it's going to be a huge undertaking from a prep point of view. And it's also a big risk, I think. You know, it's a big.
A
We're so ready for it.
C
I'm really excited. But after that rehearsal, any fears I had or any questions of, like, should I be making this movie? Completely left the room. Because I think my biggest regret in my career so far is that when I finished that show, I quit dancing.
A
Yeah.
C
And I just, you know, would dance in a club or something like that, but wouldn't go and take class. Yeah. And the thing I love most about my job is that you can book a film and learn all of these amazing skills from the best people in the business. And to be able to do that again and pick up dancing from square one and try to get back into it, I think, is going to be so fulfilling.
A
It's so cool. I mean, like, you. You. You were on the West End at. How old. How old were you when you were in Billy Elliot?
C
I started when I was 11.
B
Wow.
C
And I finished when I was 13. It was a riot.
A
I mean, I've said this to many people who. Who do theater and are, you know, on a. In a long run, like, to have the hardest part of your day be at the end of your day is really hard. You know, you're just always prepping for the end of your day.
C
Yeah, totally was.
A
Do you feel like in many ways that was the hardest you ever worked was doing that show or because you were young? Like, what. When you go back to that time, what do you feel like? Your energy? Did you just have unlimited energy at 11, 12, and 13?
C
Yeah, I think so. Really? You know, it was tough, but, yeah. No, I think there was also. There was four of us. There were four billies at any one time.
A
Yeah.
C
And you would share the role. So you would do Monday night, someone would do Tuesday night.
A
Right.
C
You would do standbys, so you would be backstage in case a Billy got injured, and you would have to rush on. I remember one night I had the night off. I was playing golf with my dad, and we got a phone call saying, oh, Ollie's come off the show. Brad's going on. Can you come in to be on standby? Because it had happened in, like, the first 20 minutes of the show, and then by the time I got to the theater, Brad had then hurt himself, so I had to go on. And someone actually wrote a letter into the theater and was like, wouldn't it be easier and less confusing to just use the same kid rather than constantly changing them out? But, no, I don't know if it's the hardest I've ever worked. I think the Odyssey, the most recent film I did, I mean, that was, you know, one of the toughest jobs I've ever had.
A
I cannot wait to talk to you about it. First of all, can't believe I'm not in the Odyssey because everyone else is Christopher Techiville, Tecaville. I mean, but I cannot also. All I've heard is that how hard it is. And you do hard things in your movies. Okay, You. But before we get to those, the two biggest movies of the summer that you are in. I just want to talk about the impossible for a second.
C
Okay.
A
Because for people that haven't seen it, don't watch it. It's too sad.
C
It's intense.
A
It's so intense. And it's so sad. It's so good.
C
It's heartbreaking.
A
You are incredible in that movie. Your performance is Incredible. Naomi Ewan McGregor. Younger children who play your brothers are incredible. It is for anyone who. The moment when you reunite is like, you know, I know that I'm depressed when that comes up on my TikTok. Like, I know that I'm.
C
Your algorithm is taking you through your words.
A
Sometimes my kids will look at my algorithm and they'll be like, mom, what's going on? And it'll be like, I gotta watch the scene again. I started crying, explaining the scene to Jenna this morning. I was like. And then they fight each other. But, Tom, that movie.
C
Thank you.
A
That movie is. What was it? What do you remember about the experience of making that movie as a young person?
C
I think, for me, just an acting masterclass from Naomi Watts and just getting to be on set with her every day and watching a professional at the top of her game deliver, you know, a sort of masterful performance while also taking me under her wing and teaching me everything that I knew know about cinema.
A
Really? Yeah. You know, Was it your first feature that you had done?
C
Yeah, it was my first film. So I had left Billy.
A
Yeah.
C
I did my first audition for the film while I was in the show.
B
Wow.
C
I think I had the summer off after I finished the show and then went straight in to make that film. So I had no idea what I was doing. Wow. And I can imagine, as, you know, an actress that was doing a job that she would might describe as the hardest role she's ever played, to have to also teach a young kid how to do it. She showed such patience, and she was so caring and kind, and I would make mistakes because you know what it's
A
like, yeah, where do I go?
C
Red sausage on the floor. Like, what is that about? She was so sweet and kind, and even if we were in emotional scenes, she could just snap right out of it and say, just, you're blocking me from. You're standing in front of the camera.
A
Incredible.
C
I would move. She would get right back into it.
A
Incredible.
C
So she just was an absolute powerhouse, and she had a great work ethic. She was so kind and courteous to the crew. Crew. So it. For me, starting my career in this business, it could not have been a better blueprint for how to behave.
A
Yeah.
C
And how to.
A
But you talked about in. In all. In Spider man, in Odyssey, in all of the stuff you've done. Like, you talk about people that you've met who you've learned a Lot from, like, mentors in some way.
C
I think my favorite thing about being an actor is that you are the only person, when the camera calls cut who is allowed to be in the middle of the room and do absolutely nothing. Right. You can be in the middle of that kind of ecosystem and you have nothing to do. You're just waiting for everyone to reset. So you have the perfect vantage point to just watch people work.
A
Yeah.
C
And see how they do it. And see how they do it differently. And see how directors communicate with actors or crew. See how actors take notes. I love listening to a director give an actor a note.
B
Yeah.
C
And go. I can't wait to see how you interpret that note. And sometimes you're like, wow, I wouldn't have done it like that. But that is actually really interesting.
A
Yeah.
C
So for me, it's less about asking people for advice.
A
Yeah.
C
And it's more just sitting back and watching them work.
A
Really. I mean, I think that is the. The thing is that people are always watching how people behave in the world. And it. What you say means nothing if it's different than your behavior. Like you just watch how people behave.
C
Exactly. And you know what it's like on a film set. You're there for five months, you're up at four in the morning. Like, you get to see every shade of a person's personality. Yeah. So seeing someone like Matt Damon, for example, on the Odyssey, I have never seen anyone work as hard as Matt did on that film.
A
Yeah.
C
And he was as kind and gracious as he was at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day, and on the toughest days. So it just was. It was awesome for me to see someone as experienced as himself also just be the nicest guy and treat it as if this was his first movie.
A
Yeah. That's awesome. So you're saying with Hilton honors, I can use points for a free night stay anywhere? Anywhere. What about fancy places like the Canape in Paris? Yeah. Hilton Honors, baby. Or relaxing sanctuaries like the Conrad in Tulum? Hilton Honors, baby. What about the five star Waldorf Astoria in the Maldives? Are you gonna do this for all 9,000 properties?
C
When you want points that can take
A
you anywhere, anytime it matters where you stay. Hilton for the stay.
C
Tech changed the world, but so did the bubonic plague. Sundays exclusively on AMC and amc. Plus the highly anticipated new drama series, the Audacity Genius is about being unhinged enough to do something outrageous. The show that Mashable says tears Silicon
A
Valley a new one.
C
People who have no Integrity. Did you leak the acquisition room?
A
No.
C
Maybe from one of the mines. Behind. Behind Succession and Better Call Saul.
B
Do we wanna save the world or control it? Most of us go. Dr.
C
Evil, the audacity all new Sundays exclusively on AMC and amc.
A
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C
It was a really weird day. The day that I found out that I got the part because it's all I had ever wanted. I remember watching Andrew's movies in the cinema.
A
Yeah.
C
Just thinking to myself like, oh, wow, like, imagine if I got an opportunity like that to play that character. Like that would be.
A
Even then you were like, I could do that.
C
I knew that I could do it. It was more just this like hunger of I would love to play that role one day. I then spent the next, like five years thinking about it. Thinking about it. I found out that they were, they were auditioning for it. I got myself in there and I spent about 6, 7 months auditioning for the film and all I could think about was getting that job.
A
Yeah.
C
And then the day that I got it, it and I found out it was like through the roof Excitement and then immediate like, oh, but now I have to actually do it.
A
Nightmare dread.
C
Why did I want this?
A
Like, this is a night like you're holding the hot potato and you're like, who can I give this to?
C
Totally. And like, what's been crazy is doing this fourth film now. Spider Man, Brand New Day. I felt very similar to the way I did on my first film, which was, was excitement, fear, you know, trying to find this sense of confidence that I could do this. Because the third movie was so successful and sharing the screen with Toby and Andrew felt like the perfect send off.
A
Yes.
C
For all of us. So when I walked on set for the first time, there was a feeling of like, is this the right thing for us to be doing right now? Like, should we be making this movie? And then when Destin came into the fold and start the director, it all of a sudden felt like, oh, this is exactly what we've been missing. And. And I am so excited for this next chapter of the franchise because it feels different, it feels new and unique, it feels more mature. And you know, I love John Watts, the guy that directed the first three. And I think tonally, he did such a good job with making these films feel like the experience of a teenager.
A
Yeah. Well, I love what you guys are getting into, which is this idea of if I had to relearn why I love people, like that thing, of if I had to, if I had to, like, do it all over again, would I choose the people in my life? Like, it's a deep, cool metaphor for what it's like to get older, like to grow up, to look at your life. Like, it's very cool. And, and, and also, like, what, what is memory? Like, what, what are we supposed to remember? What are we supposed to let go of? Like, it's very, very cool territory.
C
Yeah. I think my proudest thing about this new movie is the message. You know, it's a superhero movie. At the end of the day, Tom Rossman, the studio head, kind of describes it as a superhuman movie because I think the message is so important for young people in this digital age. It's so easy to sit at home of an evening and just scroll through your phone and just turn your mind to mush and to forget about how important socializing is.
A
My phone is my best friend, so I don't talk about it.
C
Tell me about it. I had like a whole.
A
Watch your mouth when you talk about
C
my plane yesterday, today.
A
Growing up, did you care about Spider man because you and dressed up as Spider Man?
C
Oh, yeah.
A
Yeah. Because I have boys who loved Spider Man 2. And it's really fascinating to watch how that character gets into the psyche of girls and boys. Why do you think they love. Why did you as a young kid?
C
I think it's because he's always asking himself that question of who am I? You know? Cause he doesn't know who he is yet. This young experience of failing or trying to talk to the crush that you have at school and it doesn't go well, or being behind on homework and it's. It's just that youthful experience of finding out who you are as a person.
A
Yeah.
C
And what I love about this film is that the whole premise of the movie is that he's neglecting who he is. He is kind of trying his best to suppress his trauma and just focus on being a hero while failing to realize that the person he is makes him the hero that we love. So it's a really nice little balancing act. And I also think if you ask any young kid what their favorite color is, it's gonna be red or blue. And he has both of those.
A
He's got em both.
C
He has both of those.
A
He's got both, babe.
C
Yeah.
A
And he also does that thing where he shoots from his fingers and. But it's not this kind of shoe.
C
That is very important distinction because it
A
is a totally different distinction. I'm probably doing it wrong.
C
That's close enough. Yeah.
A
And. And that for little young people feels like a way to like, like expel energy. Yeah, like. And the other thing I'll just say is that because of course, because you're a dancer, the way you moved as a character, because Spider man moves. So when you. And you've talked about this, which I love, is like, you like to get into characters physically first. Like that's how you kind of walk around the space with them. And I just want to. Before we move off of the dancing part, I just want to say that I think there's a deeper reason why your viral moment dancing to Umbrella was so successful. I have to bring it up. I'm sorry. I've watched it 5,000 times.
C
I get more compliments for that dance than any piece of work I have ever done.
A
Yeah. I probably watched it more than most movies, but not only because of the talent, not only because it's just so funny and fun and great and you guys are having such a good time together. But it's a person who is, dare I say, comfortable with their feminine side.
C
Oh yeah, totally. Yeah.
A
Well. Oh yeah, totally. Yeah. But that's not always the case with men in general. And I mean, you've. You've talked about it, like, being a young boy doing ballet. Being like, a person who's had to, like, figure out, like, what is. What is typically male, what is typically female, like, what comes from all that. When you come out confidently in that. In that outfit. And Crush was like, exploded everybody's ideas of everything in the best way. Now, I'm not. I know that wasn't your intention, maybe, but I just hope you know that it opened up a lot of feelings for a lot of people.
C
I will say, though, at one point in the dress rehearsal, the lady was like, do you think we could cut the shorts a little bit short? I was like, no.
A
You were like, okay, I'm doing enough. I'm doing enough for the.
C
Cause this is still years ahead of its time.
A
100%. And that moment, what is your memory of that moment doing it? Because did you feel the time? Like, this is really fun and funny and goofy. And then has the response been confusing to you or did you. What's your memory of doing that?
C
I was really excited about it. I was nervous at the prospect of doing a live show and doing the dance and messing up the choreography or something like that. But it's funny. It never really crossed my mind how it would be received. I just thought, oh, what a fun idea. We'll do this kind of singing in the rain thing. And you felt the. The energy in the room would literally deflate. Like, I started doing the thing in the suit and there's like, you know, everyone in that audience is like, 19 years old.
A
Sure.
C
What on earth is he doing?
A
Right?
C
And I just knew in my body, I was like, when I take this suit off, you are gonna go nuts. And I remember, like, I had to put lipstick on behind the dancers and stuff.
A
Exciting.
C
And I had to rip the suit off behind them, which I'm always sad I didn't do that on camera because it was so fun just having a rip away.
A
Yeah. Suit. They probably were. They wanted to, like, cover just in case you didn't get it right.
C
Just in case, you know, there was
A
little did they know they were working with a professional.
C
Exactly.
A
Yeah. A professional.
C
A professional.
A
And that. And that dance is a great example of what your dad said in the car, which is like, go for it, babe. Yeah.
C
If you're gonna do it, give it 100%.
A
Yes.
C
Yeah.
A
It's such a thrilling performance.
C
Thank you so much. Thank you.
B
It is.
A
Am I wrong?
C
That's why I'M so excited about this Fred Astaire thing because of how kind of scary it. It is and how much. If I don't commit to it 100%, it won't work. And I kind of love the idea of that.
A
There's, like, a million different ways in which you can put your art out into the world. Right. Everybody gets to put it out however they want. But, you know, there's just.
C
There's.
A
There's few representations of men that feel like they're, like, open to experiences in that way. Am I making any sense?
C
Yeah, no, totally. Yeah.
A
Okay. So save us.
C
Yeah, I will do my best, Tom, please.
A
But I want to ask you one question. Don't. Or I want to ask a favor of you. Don't do any more stunts, dude.
C
Oh, my word.
A
No more stunts.
C
I know that in movies, period. Yeah.
A
But I do feel like stunts are there. Well, I mean, you just have to be. What. When you're doing a stunt, what do you do with your body? Like, what are some tricks?
C
Tricks just let it happen. Like, just grip it and rip it, you know? Like, more often than not, you're on a wire and you're. There's another guy on the end with a button, and you always want to make sure you say hello to him and keep him sweet because you don't want him to dial it up and just fire you off into oblivion. But truth be told, I have an amazing team of stunt performers that I work with. And, you know, the luxury of the Spider man suit is that when one of us is in it, we're very interchangeable. And as it is a character that requires, like, a really elite level of physicality.
A
Yeah.
C
Those guys are, you know, ex Cirque du Soleil performers, ex British gymnasts, you know, world champions and stuff like that. So as the movies have gone on, my appetite to do everything has definitely dwindled because they do a better job.
A
Yeah.
C
Like, I can do a backflip, but Luke can do a double backflip. Correctly.
A
Yeah.
C
So it's like, if you want it to be really special, sometimes you have to take your ego out of the room and just let them handle the tough stuff.
A
And you got to protect the money maker.
C
Exactly.
A
You gotta protect the money.
C
Exactly.
A
I mean, come on, babe. We can't. We can't mess with that face.
C
No. But I do love it, and it is fun. The rush is really great when you do something that is really scary and it goes really well. Yeah. It is a great feeling.
A
Yeah, I bet. And it does feel like, the closest to being an athlete.
C
Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
A
And the team's like, you did it.
C
Yeah. Well done. Let's go.
A
Yeah, exactly. Because sometimes acting doesn't feel that way.
C
Yeah. It's not especially on set because there's, you know, whenever, if the crew give you a round of applause, it feels so. Like they're just like, we want to go home. Like, get on with it. Yeah. Well done. You did some acting.
A
But, yeah, if you do a stunt, you do feel, like, pretty badass. Yeah. The last thing I'll say about Spider man is Jacob. Your relationship with Jacob is really, really cool.
C
Yeah, he's the best. He.
A
And I mean, I love that you guys are, you know, real friends in real life and met at a young age and kind of grew up together doing the films together. And also, it just like, shows. Like, Ned and Peter's relationship, I think is an example of, like, great male friendship. And we spoke to him before this podcast.
C
Oh, no way. Oh, no.
A
Yes, we got. We spoke. He talked a little bit about you. And also he gave us a question to ask. And he was a total delight. Light. He flashed his. His Rolex.
C
Oh, really? He showed you. Nice, Nice.
A
But he wanted me to ask you a question. He wants me and you do it. Feel free to pass if you want, because I don't know what this is about, so I don't know. He wants me to ask you about the Boiling Rock, part one.
C
Oh, wow. The Boiling Rock.
A
Is this worth talking about? You can tell us off the air.
C
I think I should probably tell you off the air.
A
I knew it. I knew it.
C
But now it's gonna sound like we're smoking crack or something.
A
No. It's such a typical boy thing. I was like, give me a question that you would want to talk about. He was like, the Boiling Rock, part one. I was like, he's not gonna wanna talk about it.
C
Oh, man. Yeah, no, we'll chat about that. Okay.
A
We'll chat about that later. But tell me what you love about j. Jacob.
C
I just love his. Oh, man. I'm taking that Rolex back. I just love his. I love who he is as a person.
A
Yeah.
C
I love his soul. I love his. His energy. I love his. His enthusiasm. He. You know what's been so amazing for the two of us is that our lives changed on the same day. Day together.
A
Yeah.
C
And we've been through this whole journey together, and I've loved every minute of it. All of John's movies, making those. And now working with Destin. It and sharing that with someone that has been there since the beginning is really special.
A
Yeah.
C
He's also just one of my best mates. Like, if I haven't seen him for six months, when I link up with him, it's as if no time has passed. Yeah. And he's an amazing actor. And I think that no one could play no Ned the way that Jacob does. I think that he is the only person that could get those kinds of laughs. And especially in this movie, I think he's really dialed up the humor in. In an excellent way. And I just.
B
I just.
A
I mean, he feels like. He feels like he's. He's like that character is like a. A stand in for the fan almost, you know, like the audience.
C
And I think that was John Watts's kind of goal, was to create a movie that felt like all of us were experiencing what it's like to be Spider Man. But me and him, we just did an escape room together
A
and everyone's just like, climb the walls.
C
We were in LA and I texted him and I was like, are you here? And he said, yes. And I was like, I booked this escape room, bro, if you want to come. And we went. One of the producers from the movie came and him and I were useless. Really useless. But we're both leaders, which is a recipe for disaster.
A
That's right.
C
So there was a lot of, like, Jacob, let me do. Let me do it. Yeah. What are we doing here?
A
And then the time is ticking down.
C
Yeah. Yeah. It was no good. But I love him to death and I really. He will be a friend for life. And he is such a wonderful person and I couldn't be more grateful to have done this with him.
A
Yeah. Well, he says the same about you and the other big gigantic movie coming out this summer that you're going to start talking about and probably be doing press now for the next 5,000 years.
C
Yes.
A
Is the Odyssey. Yeah. Which it looks incredible. I. Who do you play in it?
C
I play Telemachus.
A
Okay.
C
When I first sat down with Chris, I said, I'm so excited to play Telemachus.
A
Yeah, sure.
C
I'm heavily dyslexic, which is one of the reasons why. And I'd love to talk to you today about it, actually is why I've never done snl because of the cue card. I'm just so petrified at the concept of, like, trying to read something and they change.
A
Well, I. I'm sure they have had many dyslexics host.
C
Totally. It's just that, like, for me I can read fine.
A
Yeah.
C
But when I have to read out loud, it just becomes like a kind of. It's like a mental block.
A
Yeah.
C
And I can freeze. So for me, my worst day at work is the read through. Like, at the read through, I will really try and highlight everything and learn my lines ahead of time.
A
Yes.
C
So that I'm more kind of skimming it than I am.
A
You're kind of remembering it visually, but you know it.
C
Yeah. So I've been, you know, I've been really lucky that they've asked me a few times to do it. And the truth is, is that I'm actually just really scared at the prospect of. I love the show and I love the idea of having fun and making a fool of yourself in such a fun, creative way. It's just that thing of the cue cards.
A
You have to remember there have been people that have hosted that have been fully on drugs.
C
Yeah, that is true. That is true.
A
So I think you can do it.
C
And who are those people?
A
Well, I'll tell you.
C
You can tell.
A
You.
C
Tell me.
A
The boiling rock. I'll tell you those people. But it is. But, but that's so. I. I love you talking about that, Tom, because it is true. Like, the way we learn, how everybody learns is very different. And of course, then what that does is it makes you, like, be a physical, tactile person.
C
Right.
A
Like, that's. That, of course. That's how you become. That's how you express yourself.
C
Yeah.
A
So, okay, this is interesting to me because to me, like, a nightmare would be being in a Christopher Nolan movie and, like, not knowing my lines or like, that's a nightmare, but that would be bad. Okay, so your character is. How would you explain your character?
C
My character is a young man who is. Is kind of feeling this incredible sense of protection towards his mum. She's under an immense amount of pressure from these very vulgar men who all want to marry her and become the king of Ithaca. And Odysseus, my dad, he is the king of Ithaca, but no one knows whether he is alive or not.
A
Who's playing Odysseus?
C
That is Matt Damon.
A
Ah.
C
And the story is about a dad trying to come home and a young boy trying to find his dad. And there is obviously a wonderful scene when that kind of story comes full circle.
A
Yeah.
C
And you know, for me, it was a dream come true job working with Chris.
A
What's it like working with him?
C
Just a dream. An absolute dream. He is. He is so fun to work for. Fun working for Chris is just A. It's a delight. I absolutely loved working for him. I admire him beyond belief. His crew is. Is without a doubt the best that I have ever worked with.
A
Is it a quiet place? Like, I picture everyone in suits being very good at their job.
C
I would say it's a very focused place.
A
Focused.
C
It's definitely fun.
A
Yeah.
C
You know, like, I laughed a lot when I was there.
A
Yeah.
C
And we, we had a really good time.
A
Yeah.
C
But it's definitely. We are there to do a job. We are there to try and, you know, create something that has never been done before. We were filming everything on imax.
A
What is. I've heard this now, but what does that mean for you? How does it make it different for you to film on imax?
C
The camera is like as big as this table.
A
I see. Okay, so the camera's huge.
C
Yeah, it's humongous. And if. And they had this thing that Hoyta had designed, the cinematographer, which we called the blimp. And it was essentially. You remember those old boxes the stills photographers would have.
A
Yeah.
C
That would dampen out the sound. It's essentially that. But for the camera.
A
Whoa.
C
So when they put the. The camera in there, you can't hear it anything, but if they're having it handheld, it goes like. It's like super loud.
A
Whoa.
C
So it's. If you're doing scenes like that, it is really difficult to focus and I. I struggle focusing sometimes. And I remember again, like, talking about lessons and watching actors work. I remember a scene between Matt and Anne Hathaway. It's about a nine minute scene and the camera can only run for three minutes at a time. Time. Because it runs out of film. Wow. So they would run it, they would take it out the blimp, reload it, put it back in, and then the two actors would just carry on from where they left off. And this is like the most emotional scene in the movie. Yeah, it is like, it's so fantastic. And to see both of them, because obviously they shot. I think they shot Matt's side first and then they shot an side. So that took almost an entire afternoon. And to see them stay in character and stay in that emotion and never waver and never come out of it. And they would call cut. They would reload the camera man. And just stayed there in the moment for three minutes maybe before the camera would roll again. Wow. It was just a masterclass in patience, professionalism, and, like, confidence in themselves. Yeah, it was awesome. And I think Chris. Chris really gives you a lot of confidence.
A
Yeah.
C
Like there's something about doing a take and him coming up to you and giving you a pat on the back and sort of saying, great, let's move on.
A
Oh, that was great.
C
That just feels like, oh, whoa. Like, I nailed that.
A
Such a. He's so incredible. His. His work is so incredible. And you're right. When you work with people who are in, like, that elevated space, like really in the top of their game, you just, like a rising tide rises all. Raises all boats.
C
That's exactly it.
A
I can't.
C
That's my favorite saying. That's my favorite saying.
A
Also, I want to say that you get to work again with your partner in life, Zendaya, who is an incredible actress.
C
She really is.
A
Yeah. What do you learn from her as an actress, as an artist? What do you like with her? You work with her in Spider Man. You work with her in this, you work with her in life. What do you. What have you learned from her?
C
I think what I love about watching her work as an actress is she's just fearless.
A
Yeah.
C
She's just like, absolutely ten toes down. Like, I'm going to give this everything. And I think when you watch her as Rue.
A
Yeah.
C
In that show, she could not be more different to who she is in real life. And then if you see her as Emma in the drama, it's. It's just such a different performance, but with no less intent or passion or drive. Yeah. And I. I think she's. I think she's the best actor going. I really think she has, like, something special.
A
Whenever you're in a relationship where you're just doing the same thing.
C
Right.
A
That can be super helpful because you understand what the other person is going through.
C
You understand it's a wild world being in this industry. And, you know, there are ups and downs. And, you know, you go from shooting a movie, which is when we're all at our most comfortable, and then you do a press tour, which feels like you're kind of standing out on the stage.
B
Yeah.
C
And it's so nice to have someone that understands that in such a personal way. Yeah. So that you can talk each other down or you can big each other up. And. And it's a lifeline. It really is. I couldn't imagine doing what I do without her.
A
Please don't ever. We love you two together. And also, I know it's. We don't know you. This were projecting, but. And I don't know Zendaya, but I am such a huge fan of her work and what I feel like she. And you both prove is, like, the more talented you are, the easier you are to work with. Like, you guys come into. I've heard just the most amazing things about her and how she works. And you guys just delivered this version of how to work that is really, really amazing. Amazing. And I can see why you. You respect that in each other.
C
Yeah, we. We had an amazing moment on Spider Man. Brand new day. And it's only because of our relationship that this happened where we were shooting this scene and we'd shot my coverage. We then turned around on Zendaya. We're doing her coverage. And I would never, ever dream of saying this to an actress that I wasn't with.
A
Right.
C
And I said to her, I said, do you think that this scene is working?
A
Yeah.
C
And she was like, no, I don't think the scene is working at all. So I then went to the producers and asked, like, do you think the scene is working? And they said, no. And I was like, yeah, me and Z are, like, really not feeling it. I then went and sat down with Destin and said, hey, man, listen, I know we've been shooting for hours, and I hate to tell you this, but I just. I don't think that this scene is working. Z and I like what we're supposed to feel. We're not feeling it in the moment. And what I love about Destin is he's so calm. There's nothing that could throw him off. And he just kind of. He listened and he sat down and he was like, well, what is it that you're trying to feel? And I told him and he went, yeah, you're right. That's exactly what we need to be feeling. So he just. He said to the crew, everyone can go home.
A
Incredible.
C
We're gonna sit down and we're gonna rewrite this scene with the writer, Justin, who is such a talent. And we came in the next day, we reshot the scene, and I'm so glad that we did, because it sings in the movie. It really does. But it's just. It's a. It was just so funny. Like, I was thinking about, like, if this wasn't Zendaya that I was sitting across from.
A
Sure.
C
Imagine on someone else's coverage being like, do you think this is working?
A
Well, I. I have done that. And now here to say, it does not go over well.
C
No, it does not.
A
Yeah. Because it's like, is this good?
C
Are you going to do it?
A
Like, I go, are we doing a good job? And they're like, are you talking to me?
C
This Is my best work.
A
Nope. I'm talking to myself.
C
Yeah.
A
Yes. You're so right. I mean, there's an intimacy that matters when you're doing work like that. And also, you know, in the reverse, when you're working with someone you know very well, sometimes you forget, like, oh, we have to kind of just, like, show up and be scene partners here. We have to not, like, cross those boundaries. But, yeah, I mean, it's exactly. What I'm talking about is, like, I feel like you guys are always striving and challenging each other and challenging. You know, and being partners in life and in work. It's really, really cool to see.
C
Thank you.
A
I do want to. The one thing about the Odyssey is. And in Spider man, you have to do an American accent.
C
Yes. Which actually, weirdly, feels more comfortable for me as an actor. Actor. It just feels like there's an immediate degree of separation from who I am as a person. And, you know, doing different American accents is difficult. You know, on the Odyssey, I think there was a few times where I went full, like, New York Queens, like, Odysseus, you're home. How are you? You know? And it's like, what the fuck? So I think that.
A
Are there words that help you get into an American accent?
C
Ironically. Ironically, the word that I struggle to say the most is Spider Man. It's so weird.
A
You know what? While you drink, I'll share that. My Boston accent. My East Coast Boston accent.
C
Okay.
A
When I was playing Leslie Knope, the one word that I had a hard time saying was, I still have a hard time saying is government.
C
Government.
A
Which I had to say so much.
B
Yeah.
A
Playing a government employee. But there's something about the word gov. Govern. Government. Because we would say government. Like government. We'd say government in government. Yeah. Like, you get rid of the R. Okay. Like, yeah. Like, I have to deal with the government. Okay.
C
Government.
A
Government.
C
Because also, there's an N in there that is government. Yeah.
A
So sp. Because you'd want to say Spider Man.
C
No, because I would want to say Spider man is what? For some reason, you'd want to say Spider man so much more. And I'm like, that's kind of New York, isn't. And he's like, no, that is the Deep South. But I.
A
You were like, y', all. I'm Spider Man.
C
Hey, y'.
B
All.
C
Yeah. I don't know. I just, for some reason, very good at it. I really found Spider Man a difficult word to say for some reason.
A
Isn't it funny? I mean, I'm sure A lot of people don't know that you're British.
C
I do still get that, actually. A lot. Getting recognized on the street and people are like, what is going on with your accent, dude?
A
You know, the Brits are not always the best at American accents.
C
That is true.
A
The Irish are a little better and Australians are the best.
C
You think so?
A
I do, yes. Like Naomi speaking. She's fantastic. There's a lot of very good, like, Australians that crush it. I think the Brits tend to be the worst.
C
That is an interesting observation.
A
Now I'm just going to say I cannot do a British accent, so I would never even try.
C
A British accent is tough.
A
There's so many of them.
C
There's just too many of them.
A
I know.
C
And you have to commit to one.
A
You do.
C
And it's quite. It's hard. Zendaya has become amazing at British accents. It's actually kind of crazy. It's crazy. But, yeah, I think. And also, it's very difficult to do a British accent and not make it become a caricature type accent. Yeah.
A
I mean, I think. I think conversely, like, with Brits, when they do American accents, the one thing that they do is they. They kind of always turn into this kind of talking.
C
Right.
A
Like, it's just very. Because they want to make sure that they're rounding out their contents.
C
There's lots of long Rs.
A
Yeah.
C
One of the things I find really difficult is a lot of Americans, New Yorkers, especially when they're ordering food. It's very different to how we order food in England. It says, please, may I have the burger with number two? Thank you so much. Please. That'd be thank you.
A
Thank you.
C
Thank you. And in America, it's totally fine to be like, I'll have the number two.
A
Yeah.
C
And just leave it at that.
A
Especially in the East Coast.
C
Totally.
A
Yeah.
C
And I would be doing scenes and my dialect coach would come in and be like, stop saying please. Oh. Like, yeah, a kid from New York's not going to say please if you're
A
asking for a burger.
C
So I. You can see it. There's a moment in this movie where someone asked me for a coffee and I just go, sure. And even through the suit, you can see like, I'm like, my dad is going to be so disappointed in me.
A
I mean, in New York, it's gotten to the point where it's like, let me get.
C
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A
I mean, but that is so. I mean, I'm still shocked when people get, let me get a egg and cheese. It's like let get.
C
And my dad always says to me, he goes, no son, you can't go and get it. They'll bring it to you. Yeah, but you can't go and get it. You can have it.
A
Let me get.
C
But you, you can't go and get it. They'll stop you getting it.
A
It's so true. I mean I, I, I. The other last thing I'll say is that it took me a long time real to realize that quite meant something different for Americans as than it did for British. So quite for you means pretty good. So like how was it? It was quite good. Yeah. That means it was pretty good. But we don't understand that as Americans. We use quite as like it was very good. So like it was quite good.
C
Oh wow.
A
Like we say, like it was quite a show.
C
Oh wow.
A
So for a long time Brits would be telling me that they kind of didn't like things that much and I'd be, I'm like, they like scratch. He said it was quite good. And I don't think enough Brits know this that we don't always understand that quite means pretty good.
C
It's fine.
A
But we are like he loved it. Which is also very American. We've talked about your films before we go, I just want to talk about your beer.
C
Oh yes.
A
Your non alcoholic beer.
C
Yes.
A
Your brand. Congratulations on it.
C
Thank you so much.
A
We've been drinking it from these cups the entire time.
C
Delicious.
A
And why did you start a brand and why non alcoholic?
C
So I quit drinking. Yeah. Because I had a problem.
A
Yeah.
C
And I just couldn't put it down. And it was affecting my professional life, it was affecting my personal life and my health. So I decided to pack it in and I got through that first year which I think was the toughest challenge that I've ever been on. And during that first year I noticed that there was limited options for people like me that were looking for something that would scratch that itch, that would help you live or go to the bar and be a part of the social experience but not feel like the only person with a lemonade.
A
Yeah.
C
The truth behind the shandies which were bringing out this summer is that Z has never drank. She's never been a drinker.
A
She's incredible.
C
She's the best. She's the best.
A
She's the best.
C
She's never drank.
A
No. On her game I know so much
C
and which means she never found the taste for beer. Yeah. And everyone remembers their first beer. It's a little bit like that kind Of, Yeah.
A
It's like, why does my dad drink this all the time?
C
And then you get drunk and you're like, oh, okay, let's go.
A
I'm not here. But. But I'm here.
C
Right. So she just. She's incredibly proud of Bero. It's just there. There is a missing link of, like, she doesn't enjoy the stuff that I'm trying to sell.
A
Right.
C
So my mom actually came up with the idea, and she said, you know, what if you did a shandy? Which is. It's essentially half a beer and then half a lemonade.
A
Ooh.
C
And we have a grapefruit flavor. There's lemon lime. There's BlackBerry yuzu, there's elderflower. And it was a ploy to create something at the company that could enjoy. Yeah.
A
So when this comes out, you will have turned 30. What is something you're looking forward to about turning 30? What. What. What's exciting about it?
C
I am. I'm incredibly proud of my 20s. Like, I look back at the things that have happened in my life, personally and then professionally, and I look back on them really, really fondly. So I'm kind of sad to say Goodbye to my 20s, but equally excited to. To walk into my 30s. I think as a kid growing. I've always just been a kid at work.
A
Yeah.
C
You know, and I'm really excited to sort of. And I think that's probably an internal thing. Not that people treat me like a kid. It's just I've always felt like, oh, I'm just kind of the young one here. Yeah. And I'm really excited to be, you know, a young man on set and experience what that's like. And, yeah, I have some really exciting projects in the pipeline, and.
A
Yeah.
C
And, yeah, I'm excited.
A
That's awesome. I mean, I feel like just much like Spider Man. Like, there's so much ahead for you, but there is. It feels like from a very young age, you've had a very strong sense of yourself that is kind of like something that you just kind of have. It's a thing often you're born with, and I think people feel it from you. I know. I count myself as one of the many people who can't wait to see whatever you're doing next is really awesome. And so we always finish our interviews by asking. Asking our guests, like, you know, in these, like, often complicated and troubled times, what they're doing to laugh.
C
Right.
A
Who makes them laugh? You come from a funny family. What are you watching? Listening to, reading. What video do you watch over and over again. What is your like? Comfort. What's your comfort? Movie? What is your like? Comedy. Go to that Tom that makes Tom laugh. And then I want to show you a TikTok dance and see if you can teach me. But don't worry. Not now.
C
I.
A
Now that we're friends, we're gonna hang out.
C
My favorite night out is to go to the comedy club. Ooh, I love all standup. I think it is the bravest form of art in our world because it's like, I remember being backstage with my dad. I've always been so impressed by my dad. Like, he is like my hero because he. He never brought the bad gigs home. He never brought bad gigs home. He's always been someone that's incredibly positive. He's super ambitious. He's really tenacious. And I remember one night he took me to the Comedy Store and we went together to watch, and we went backstage and we saw all the comics kind of getting ready for their set.
A
Yeah.
C
And I was so impressed by. When I go to work, I get picked up. Someone makes my breakfast right. Someone hands me the words that I'm supposed to say. Someone will tell me where I'm supposed to. To sand. Someone dresses me, and I'm considered an artist. But so much of that work is done for me. But then backstage, you see them taking their anorak off, putting their pack lunch on the side. They go out, they nail it. They come in and they head off to the next club. And I know some of them have writers and all that sort of stuff, but to see the singular effort that it takes, I was always so impressed by that. And I love that my dad took me to see that because it was really eye opening to me.
A
That's cool. That's very cool.
B
Cool.
A
Tom Holland, thank you so much for being here.
C
Yeah, my pleasure.
A
It really means a lot. We were very, very excited to have someone of your caliber sitting across from us. And congratulations on the two most gigantic movies ever coming. And thank you for all the work that you do. And thanks for being so great and a pleasure to meet you. Amazing.
C
Thanks, Amy. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thanks, guys. It's been so fun.
A
Tom Holland, what a delight. Love talking to you. Thank you so much for coming and can't wait to see what you're in this summer and what you're in ever forever for the rest of your life. Such a fan and for this polar plunge. I just wanted, you know, we talked a little bit about dancing and we talked about Janet Jackson. And there is a choreographer on TikTok named Charlie Wakey who has started a trend where he created a dance to like a smooth criminal mashup a Michael Jackson song. And I just love that side of dancing online where somebody starts a trend and then other people kind of take it on and do their version of it. And I've been watching it a lot. So check him out. Check out all the original choreographers and dancers online who are making great stuff. And keep dancing, babe. Keep dancing. Okay, thanks. See you soon. Bye. You've been listening to good hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite. For the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen and Alaya Zaneras. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.
In this lively and warm episode, Amy Poehler sits down with Tom Holland—star of two of summer’s biggest movies, "The Odyssey" and "Brand New Day." The episode explores Tom’s upbringing in a creative family, the dynamics of his long-term friendship with Jacob Batalon, the joys and insecurities of performing, dancing, masculinity, and Tom’s reflections on fame, work, and turning 30. They dive into his career-defining roles, his enthusiasm for dancing, why he stopped drinking, and his relationships with both his family and partner Zendaya. Amy’s signature wit and affection keeps the conversation funny, honest, and deeply relatable throughout.
Dog Interruptions & Friendship Origins: Jacob Batalon (Ned in Spider-Man) joins the episode via Zoom, introducing his adorable dog Vulpix and reflecting on meeting Tom as teenagers on set and "literally seeing each other grow up." Early days included signing 10-year contracts as teenagers and hoping their scene partners weren’t "a dick."
Male Friendships & On-Screen Chemistry: They bond over the importance (and rarity) of close male friendships, both in life and films.
Superhero Roots and Stunts: Jacob was more into Power Rangers growing up; reflects on Tom's impressive physicality in stunts, with both Amy and Jacob urging Tom to leave more to stunt doubles.
Gift-Giving & Real-Life Support: Tom recently gave Jacob a Rolex to celebrate their friendship and Jacob’s upcoming marriage.
Insider Joke: Jacob suggests Amy ask Tom about "The Boiling Rock, Part One" —an inside story Tom might not want public.
Creative Household: Tom’s father is a stand-up comedian, mother a photographer. Family dinners were full of stories and jokes, with his dad often "roasting" Tom’s friends and using family meals as show warmups.
Sibling Dynamics: Tom is the eldest of four boys, learned responsibility and socialization at home. His brothers do a mix of work—one as his former assistant, another an artist.
Dancing Roots: The Holland boys attended "Nifty Feet" dance school every Saturday. Tom credits his dad’s pep talk about always "doing your best" for shaping his approach to performance.
Dancing as a Foundation: Tom says he probably wouldn't be acting if not for Janet Jackson’s music and his early dance background.
Returning to Dance for Fred Astaire Role: After years away, prepping for a Fred Astaire biopic has reignited his passion. Despite nerves and initial physical pain, his muscle memory and love for dancing returned.
"The Impossible" & Learning from Co-Stars: Filming his first feature, Tom credits Naomi Watts’ mentorship.
On Being an Observer: Tom talks about the value of watching, not just asking, to learn from more experienced actors.
Landing the Role: Tom describes the grueling six-month audition process and the anxiety that followed "winning the lottery."
Maturity and a New Direction in ‘Brand New Day’: The latest "Spider-Man" entry is more mature, reflective, and about rediscovering what (and who) matters.
Why Spider-Man Resonates: It’s about identity and trying—"the young experience of failing or trying to talk to the crush that you have at school." (41:30)
Dancing to "Umbrella": Tom acknowledges this viral performance left a lasting cultural impact.
Feminine Energy & Representation: Amy credits Tom with offering a new model for masculinity by confidently embracing dance and feminine performance on stage and screen.
On Stunts & Knowing Limits: Tom and Amy both agree that it's OK to let the professionals handle the more dangerous stuff as Tom gets older—"Sometimes you have to take your ego out of the room and just let them handle the tough stuff." (48:14)
"The Odyssey" and Working with Christopher Nolan & Matt Damon: Tom plays Telemachus, Odysseus’s son. He describes the challenge of working in IMAX, Nolan’s focused but warm sets, and the lessons learned from Hollywood’s best.
Zendaya—On and Off Screen: Tom praises Zendaya’s talent and fearless work as an actress, as well as the grounding, supportive nature of their relationship.
Navigating Dyslexia and SNL: Tom opens up about his dyslexia and apprehension about live, on-the-spot reading, especially with cue cards.
The episode is infused with Amy’s signature humor, warmth, and ability to draw disarmingly honest, funny, and touching stories from her guests. Tom is candid, charming, slightly self-deprecating, and deeply appreciative of collaborators, friends, and family. Together, they create the sense of a real, relaxed conversation between peers who are both passionate about creativity, craft, and connection.
If you haven’t listened, this episode offers both a rundown of Tom’s career and thoughtful, funny discussions on friendship, family, work ethic, vulnerability, and the changing expectations of contemporary masculinity. The warmth is real, the stories are funny, and the lessons sneak up on you—just like a good hang should.