Tom Holland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Holland
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Holland in 2023
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Thomas Stanley Holland
1 June 1996 London, England
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| Education | Wimbledon College |
| Alma mater | BRIT School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2006–present |
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Roles and awards |
| Partner(s) | Zendaya (engaged December 2024) |
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Tom Holland (born 1 June 1996) is a famous English actor. He has won many awards, including a BAFTA Award and three Saturn Awards. His movies have earned over $9.9 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-earning actors ever. In 2019, he was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe's top young talents.
Tom started dancing when he was nine years old. A choreographer saw him and helped him audition for Billy Elliot the Musical in London. After two years of training, he got a part in 2008. Later that year, he became the main character, Billy Elliot, and played the role until 2010.
He made his first movie appearance in the drama The Impossible (2012). In this film, he played a teenager caught in a tsunami. His performance was highly praised, and he was nominated for an award. After this, Tom decided to become a full-time actor. He appeared in How I Live Now (2013) and played historical characters in In the Heart of the Sea (2015) and the TV show Wolf Hall (2015).
Tom Holland became famous worldwide for playing Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man. He appeared in six Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero films, starting with Captain America: Civil War (2016). In 2017, he won the BAFTA Rising Star Award. He also became the youngest actor to play a main role in an MCU film with Spider-Man: Homecoming. His Spider-Man sequels, Far From Home (2019) and No Way Home (2021), each earned over $1 billion globally. No Way Home was the highest-earning film of 2021. Tom also starred in the action film Uncharted (2022). He has also directed a short film and voiced characters in animated movies like Spies in Disguise (2019) and Onward (2020).
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Tom Holland's Early Life and Education
Thomas Stanley Holland was born on June 1, 1996, in Kingston upon Thames, London. His mother, Nicola, is a photographer, and his father, Dominic Holland, is a comedian and author. Tom has three younger brothers. His family background includes Irish and Manx heritage. He lives close to his parents and brothers in Kingston upon Thames. Tom often finds inspiration from his creative parents. He sees his father as a role model.
Tom went to Donhead Preparatory School, a Catholic school in Wimbledon. When he was seven, he learned he had dyslexia. His parents sent him and his brothers to a private school to ensure he received the support he needed. This decision was important for his education. Later, Tom attended Wimbledon College. He also studied at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in London.
As a child, Tom thought about different jobs. He loved Janet Jackson's music and enjoyed dancing. His mother enrolled him in a dance class. When he was a teenager, he briefly went to carpentry school. He also considered becoming a primary school teacher because he likes being with children.
Tom Holland's Acting Career Highlights
Starting with Dance and First Film Roles
At age nine, Tom Holland started dancing in a hip hop class. He was noticed by choreographer Lynne Page, who helped him audition for Billy Elliot the Musical. The director, Stephen Daldry, saw his great potential. After two years of training in ballet, tap dancing, and acrobatics, Tom got the role of Michael Caffrey in June 2008. He performed at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London's West End. During this time, he also learned gymnastics. Tom shared that some schoolmates teased him when they found out about his dancing.
Later in 2008, Tom was promoted to the main role of Billy Elliot. He performed even when he had tonsillitis, receiving good reviews. After his success on stage, Tom hoped to be more popular at school. He found it hard to fit in with his peers after working in a professional environment. His work on Billy Elliot the Musical ended in 2010.
In 2011, Tom voiced a character in the animated film Arrietty. He then sent an audition tape for the movie The Impossible (2012). The director, Juan Antonio Bayona, was impressed with Tom's emotional acting. He cast Tom in the film. In The Impossible, Tom played a teenager caught in a tsunami with his family. Filming was physically demanding, with scenes in a large water tank. Working with co-star Naomi Watts made Tom realize he wanted to be an actor forever.
The Impossible was a big success and earned $180.3 million worldwide. Tom received much praise for his performance. Critics called him a "terrific young actor." He won several awards, including the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance. Tom also appeared in the drama How I Live Now (2013). He lent his voice to Locke (2013) and had a small role in Billy Elliot the Musical Live (2014).
Becoming Spider-Man and Rising Stardom
In 2015, Tom appeared in four episodes of the historical TV show Wolf Hall. He played Gregory Cromwell, the son of the main character. He also directed a short film called Tweet (2015). In the same year, Tom co-starred in Ron Howard's adventure-drama In the Heart of the Sea. He played a teenage sailor named Thomas Nickerson. For this role, he and his co-stars, including Chris Hemsworth, lost a lot of weight. Tom performed most of his own stunts in the film.
In June 2015, Tom signed a deal with Marvel Studios to play Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Tom was a huge fan of Spider-Man growing up. He auditioned against 1,500 other teenagers from around the world. Producers were impressed by his previous work, and directors noted his dancing and gymnastics skills. Stan Lee, Spider-Man's creator, said Tom was the perfect age and height for the character.
Tom first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War (2016). The film was a huge success, earning over $1.1 billion worldwide. Critics praised Tom's performance as Spider-Man. In 2016, he also starred in the thriller Edge of Winter. In 2017, Tom won the BAFTA Rising Star Award. He then appeared in The Lost City of Z, where he broke his nose doing a backflip.
Later in 2017, Tom starred in his first solo Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming. This made him the youngest actor to play a main role in the MCU. To prepare, Tom secretly attended a high school in the Bronx for a few days. He found that other students did not believe he was Spider-Man, which mirrored the film's story. Homecoming and Tom's performance received excellent reviews. The film earned over $800 million worldwide. Tom also appeared in the Irish film Pilgrimage. That year, he performed with Zendaya on Lip Sync Battle. His parents also started The Brothers Trust, a charity that uses his fame to help good causes.
Continued Success and Challenging Roles
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Tom reprised his role as Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Both films earned over $2 billion, with Endgame briefly becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. He then starred in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), which was the first Spider-Man film to earn $1 billion. Critics praised Tom as a "note-perfect Spider-Man." He won his third Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Far From Home.
Tom also voiced characters in animated films like Spies in Disguise (2019), Dolittle (2020), and Onward (2020). In 2020, he starred in the psychological thriller The Devil All the Time. Tom found this role very demanding and challenging. Critics noted his convincing performance, showing his range as an actor.
In 2021, Tom starred in the drama Cherry. For this role, he shaved his head and interviewed military veterans. He also lost and regained a significant amount of weight. Critics felt the film allowed Tom to show his skills as an actor. He next appeared with Daisy Ridley in Chaos Walking, a science fiction film.
In December 2021, Tom returned as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He described it as the "most ambitious standalone superhero movie ever made." Despite being released during the COVID-19 pandemic, No Way Home quickly became the highest-grossing film of 2021. It was also the first film since 2019 to earn over $1 billion at the box office. Critics praised the film and Tom's performance, calling him "endearing" and saying he "captures your heart."
New Ventures and Future Projects
Tom began 2022 by investing in Dogpound gyms. He also starred as a young Nathan Drake in Uncharted, a film based on the popular video game series. To prepare for scenes where his character was bartending, Tom worked shifts at a London pub. While the film received mixed reviews, Tom's star power likely helped its box-office success.
In 2023, Tom executive produced and starred in the Apple TV+ miniseries The Crowded Room. He played a character inspired by Billy Milligan. This role was very emotionally demanding for him. After this intense experience, he took a year off from work. In May 2024, Tom returned to the stage as Romeo in a West End revival of Romeo and Juliet.
In 2024, Tom created his own production company, Billy17, and signed a deal with Sony Pictures. He starred in Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey, an adaptation of the epic poem. Tom called this the best experience of his career. In September 2025, he was briefly hospitalized after an injury while filming the fourth Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Tom Holland's Personal Life
Tom describes himself as a private person. He has spoken about the challenges of fame and how he values his privacy. He is a big fan of the professional football club Tottenham Hotspur.
He has been in a relationship with his Spider-Man co-star Zendaya since 2021. They moved into a home in London in 2023 and became engaged in December 2024. Tom has also shared that he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Acting Credits and Awards
See also
In Spanish: Tom Holland para niños
 | Valerie Thomas |
 | Frederick McKinley Jones |
 | George Edward Alcorn Jr. |
 | Thomas Mensah |
