As a child, Tom Holland experienced bullying for his interest in ballet. In various interviews, Holland has shared that his early fascination with a Janet Jackson song led his mother to enroll him in dance classes at Nifty Feet, a UK-based dance school.

During a show, a scout noticed him but initially dismissed him as too small for the role of Billy Elliott in “Billy Elliot: The Musical.” Holland then trained intensively for two years, grew taller, and ultimately landed the role. Part of his rigorous training included ballet, which he practiced in an all-boys school gym during lunchtime, often alone and in tights. He recounted how his classmates, who were more into rugby, did not find his ballet practice very impressive, but he told Zendaya in an interview for Interview magazine that the harsh comments helped him build resilience. He later told GQ Style that the ballet training was immensely beneficial to his career.

Holland’s first kiss took place backstage while performing as Billy Elliott at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London’s West End. At age 12 in September 2008, he revealed that a friend dared him to kiss a girl who played Debbie in the play. Despite the girl’s lack of interest, he shared a brief kiss, which he described as magical.

His favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe films include “Iron Man,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “Avengers: Endgame.” He considers “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey Jr., to be one of the greatest superhero movies and praised Downey’s portrayal of Tony Stark. “Thor: Ragnarok,” directed by Taika Waititi, was noted for its humor and vibrant style, while “Avengers: Endgame” was celebrated for concluding the Marvel saga with significant box office success.

At one point when his acting career stalled, Holland’s mother sent him to carpentry school as a backup plan. Holland described hitting a rough patch after starring in “In the Heart of the Sea” and being sent to Cardiff, Wales for carpentry training, although he did not complete the course. He mentioned that his family background in carpentry allowed him to build furniture for his mother and complete small repairs for friends.

Holland’s worst job was washing pots in a pub, which he found less enjoyable compared to his usual film set experiences. He also admitted to having a crush on Elizabeth Olsen, expressing his admiration for her during a 2017 interview with British GQ.

He got a tattoo of the Spider-Man symbol on the bottom of his foot, which he described as a painful but memorable experience. Despite the challenge of the tattoo fading, he considered it a significant personal milestone.

Lastly, Holland mentioned that the worst advice he received came from Mark Wahlberg, who suggested he should party and move to LA. Holland’s all-time favorite film is “Primal Fear,” a 1996 thriller starring Edward Norton and Richard Gere, which he discussed in interviews alongside other favorites like “My Cousin Vinny.” He also repurposed a blue screen from “Spider-Man: Far From Home” as a cover for his poker table.