Tom Holland is one of the biggest young movie stars in Hollywood.
The 27-year-old got his start playing the titular role in Billy Elliot The Musical on the London stage and famously went on to step into the iconic role of Spider-Man in seven Marvel movies, including the three most recent standalone films centered on Peter Parker’s secret superhero identity.
Holland also recently added another Sony franchise to his belt after the success of the 2022 film adaptation of the popular Uncharted video game series.
Despite all his theatrical accomplishments, it’s a 6-year-old drag performance that the Spider-Man: No Way Home star claims is what fans admire most.
“Because I’ve really worked hard in my career and I’ve really been calculated in deciding what it is I do and when I do it. And for all the movies that I’m incredibly proud of, the Lip Sync Battle is what I get the most compliments for,” Holland said in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Back in May 2017, Holland slayed the house down boots rocking a black bob, bustier, vinyl hot pants and fishnets to lip sync for his life to Rihanna’s blockbuster hit “Umbrella” on the Paramount Network’s celebrity competition series.
Besides his commitment to wardrobe, Holland’s choreo is seriously on point and features deep thrusts, back flips and Sasha Colby-level hair flips while getting soaked under a deluge of rain. He does this all while his Spider-Man costar/future girlfriend Zendaya watches on in total amazement.
Tens across the board, henny!
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In hindsight, Holland says he has no regrets about the impressive number.
“I’m proud of it,” he said of the two-and-a-half minute dance extravaganza. “I like that it left a lasting impact. It was an amazing time.”
He added: “My life was changing before my eyes. Spider-Man was coming out. I was on the up. I was getting offers and turning them down for the first time, which was really crazy. I was meeting producers and directors and going to L.A. by myself. I was finally at that stage where I could say, ‘Can I bring my friends?’ And they’d say, ‘Yeah.’”
While he credits the show’s costume designer for coming up with his drag persona, Holland said the gender-bending routine was not a comment on toxic masculinity or that big a deal.
“I don’t give a f*ck. I’ve grown up in the most non-toxic-masculine environment possible,” the English actor shared. “I didn’t realize what I was doing was so forward-thinking. I was just like, ‘Yeah, f*ck it, I’ll put some fishnets on and dance in the rain. That’ll be really fun. I don’t care.'”
That being said, the box office star has no plans to get all glammed up again for a repeat performance.
“But you’d never catch me doing that now. Just because I don’t want to do a f*cking TV show that I don’t need to do,” he told the outlet. “I’d rather go and play golf and live my little private life.”
In that same episode, Holland went masc for masc performing Nelly’s “Ride wit Me”:
Last year, Holland disclosed that his father tried to talk him out of the Rihanna performance because it was too “risqué.” Thankfully, Holland didn’t listen and went on to make TV magic.
While we may not see Holland serving Rihanna realness anytime soon, you can catch him donning ’70s deranged criminal drag in his new psychological thriller series The Crowded Room, which is streaming on AppleTV+ now.
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Hello, Spider-Man!
D P
First of all, thank you to Queerty for bringing this to my attention! I love it!
Secondly: to me Tom Holland is one of those who have the epitome of hot maleness.
Thirdly: that bit he did, the routine that some considered ‘risque’, I find totally HOT!
I was in a bathhouse in Los Angeles one Halloween when I spied a guy I’d had a crush on from the San Diego area. HE was in high heel platform shoes and fishnet stockings, and ever since then have noted how alluring the combination of the two elements are. It has to be right of course; I couldn’t pull it off.
But Tom Holland, you’ve got mojo for sure!
tzwicky
OK, so Tom did drag. But how committed was he really?
Gotta ask if he was totally gaffed and tucked, because that’s the difference between play acting and proper drag.
Some reader out there with a great A/V system might be able to really freeze frame and take a look to see. I could not make the determination myself though I spent all afternoon examining Tom’s crotch, carefully, thoughtfully.
lord.krath
I think the article was confused. It mentions the costume designer designing drag, but it also mentions he comment on not thinking anything about the gender-bending routing. Gender-bending is not necessarily the same as drag.
So I don’t think the technicality you mention matters.
His performance was epic, though, and I’d definitely say commuted in that respect. He gave nothing less than 100%.
JRamonMc
That was one of the most epic lipsync performances ever produced on that series. Tom nailed it and gave it 110%.
Seth
Funny, you won’t catch me watching any movie with Tom Holland in it because I don’t need to. What a coincidence.
nm4047
what?
mujerado
Apparently you did “need” to post your opinion, though, for all of us you must have imagined were wondering just what you think of it. I doubt Tom is worried whether you’re interested in him or not.
dbmcvey
I’m sure he’ll get over the disappointment.
Louis
Tom is, of course, conventionally attractive and has a rocking body to fit into that Spidey suit. Yet despite how he looks out of clothes, or how he looks in the tight Lycra of Spider-Man, he has never looked hotter than his lip sync. I remember watching it years ago and just drooling. It helps that he can dance (I find men who can dance to be so appealing), but definitely it’s that outfit which makes my gay lil heart thump.