Spider-Man star Tom Holland recently announced a hiatus from acting, leading many to question the state of his health. As it turns out, his physical health is likely better than it’s been in some time, given that he’s more than a year sober. Sources suggest Holland is caring for his mental health while taking a year off from acting following one particularly taxing production.
In 2021 and 2022, Holland starred in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Uncharted, two massive blockbusters for Sony that performed very well at the box office. He then launched into a hybrid starring/producing role on the Apple TV Plus series The Crowded Room, which premieres June 9.
According to Holland, the experience of making the series “broke” him, as it delved into issues of mental illness and violence to tell the real-life story of a man arrested for a New York City shooting who pleaded against his charges on the basis of having disassociative identity disorder.
In an interview with Extra, Holland said:
“It was a tough time for sure. We were exploring certain emotions that I have definitely never experienced before. And then on top of that, being a producer, dealing with the day-to-day kind of problems that come with any film set. Just added that extra level of pressure.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, Holland said the nine-month shoot made it difficult to shed the character in his private life. The actor said, “I remember having a bit of a meltdown at home and thinking, like, ‘I’m going to shave my head. I need to shave my head because I need to get rid of this character.'”
Holland has spoken openly about mental health struggles in the past: Last August he wrote an Instagram post explaining why he has backed away from social media, writing, “I have taken a break from social media for my mental health because I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming. I get caught up, and I spiral when I read things about me online, and ultimately, it’s very detrimental to my mental state.”
The actor also has discussed his sobriety, telling late-night host Jimmy Kimmel a while ago that he and his brothers “drank a lot” during lockdown in 2020 and that he wanted to limit his alcohol consumption. It appears he has — as Holland said publicly this month that he’s now 16 months sober and has utilized the understanding he gained about mental health during the production of The Crowded Room to navigate his own life. The actor said he’s especially careful about “recognizing triggers” and pinpointing “things that stress me out.”
We applaud Holland for doing the work and evaluating things that are detrimental to his personal harmony, something more performers should probably prioritize. After all, social media and Hollywood writ large can certainly feel like one big crowded room, and we don’t begrudge anyone who needs to step outside of it for a while.