Tom Holland has only words of thanks to his Spider-Man co-star, Zendaya, and explains how she helped him as his life changed. The couple initially shared a screen on Spider-Man: Homecoming of 2017 that launched both actors to a new level of fame.
Upon returning for the 2019 sequel, Spider-Man: far from home, Zendaya went from a supporting role to being a more prominent character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. MJ becomes closer to Peter Parker and the two end the sequel in a very different place than when it started. The relationship between Peter and MJ is something that many MCU fans hope to see further developed in Spider-Man 3, which is currently filming.
The chemistry Tom Holland shares with Zendaya is one of the big reasons the duo work well together and, in a new interview with Backstage, the actor explains in detail how much Zendaya has helped him in his career and life. After naming Robert Downey Jr. as his first choice of acting mentor, Holland cites the influence Zendaya has had on his new life as a star.
“The second person would probably be Zendaya. When we started shooting the first movie [Spider-Man], she, Jacob [Batalon] and I became good friends. She was very helpful in the process of changing my life, because not only are you making great movies and traveling the world, but everyone is starting to know who you are. And you have to behave differently. You have a responsibility to uphold this idea of being a role model for young children. And possibly she is the best at it. You can’t really find anything against Zendaya, she’s like the perfect person.
It was wonderful to have someone like her in my corner to help me grow in that process. And, yes, I have made mistakes: I went through a phase where I hated taking pictures with people and I thought, “No, no, no, leave me alone!” She really taught me, she was like, “That would probably stress you out more than saying yes and being nice.” She was so right. It has made that whole process that much more enjoyable. Having her as a friend has been very valuable for the success and happiness of my career and my life ”.
Holland’s comments speak to Zendaya’s different experiences in the entertainment industry. The actress began her career as a child model and backup dancer before gaining greater prominence thanks to her role as Rocky Blue on the Disney series. Shake It Up. Given the intense fandom that the Disney series evokes in its viewers, as Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus can attest.
Zendaya was considerably more used to dealing with the situations celebrities have to deal with on a daily basis. Meanwhile, before being cast as Spider-Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Holland’s films were largely limited to performances in historical dramas and family thrillers. However, since he became the friendly neighbor Spider-man, he could no longer maintain relative anonymity. It would make sense that Holland needed time to adjust, and it’s great to hear that Zendaya set out to help him.
