Tom Holland Loves Filmmaking But Hates Hollywood's Price Of Addiction, Anxiety, & Fame

It's not exactly a secret that Hollywood can be a tough place to exist peacefully. Behind the glitz and the glamour, some people really struggle in the spotlight — and "Spider-Man" star Tom Holland just opened up about his own feelings towards Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large.

Speaking to Jay Shetty on the "On Purpose" podcast, Holland said that while he loves filmmaking, Hollywood isn't really his thing. "Look, I really am a massive fan of making movies, but I really do not like Hollywood; it is not for me," Holland told Shetty. "The business really scares me. I understand that I'm a part of that business, and I enjoy my kind of interactions with it."

"But that said, I am always looking for ways to kind of remove myself from it, to kind of just live as normal a life as possible," Holland said, also noting that even appearing on a podcast like "On Purpose" is an unusual move for him. Overall, Holland's fear seems to be losing the essence of who he truly is to the fame monster, as he said he's seen friends and colleagues fall prey to this exact thing. "I definitely think it has been an ongoing thought, which is don't lose yourself," Holland said. "I've seen so many people come before me and lose themselves, and I've had friends that I've grown up with that aren't friends of mine anymore, because they've lost themselves to this business." 

There's another piece to this puzzle, which is that Holland has recently embraced sobriety. He also told Shetty that, after taking a break from alcohol, it alarmed him when he realized how much of an influence drinking had on his overall life. "I was definitely addicted to alcohol, not shying away from that at all," Holland said, revealing that after joining the practice known as "Dry January" — a month in the new year with no alcohol at all — he understood how much he'd really been drinking before. "All I could think about was having a drink ... I was waking up thinking about it. I was checking the clock, when's it 12 p.m.?... It just really scared me."

Now, Holland says that he simply kept extending his dry months, continuing through February and on through June — and he saw the results quickly. "I could sleep better. I could handle problems better, things that would go wrong on set, that would normally set me off, I could take in my stride," he said. "I had so much better mental clarity. I felt healthier, I felt fitter."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

All of this news about Holland comes on the heels of his revelation that he's set to take a break from acting for about a year after filming his difficult AppleTV+ miniseries "The Crowded Room." In fact, Holland has been quite open about mental health lately, which is certainly commendable.

In a June 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Holland discusses that he quit social media not long ago after realizing the effects that it had on his mental health and withstanding the constant attention that comes with fame — especially at a young age. "It's tough when every time you leave your front door, you are working," Holland said. "You're on camera. I can't walk around New York without clicking everywhere I go. And social media was bringing that outside world into my house. I just had to get rid of it. I needed to get back to reality, remind myself of who I am and where I'm from, and just live my life as normally as possible, in my abnormal way. Which is my career, I guess."

Holland definitely deserves a breather if he takes one — and if he wants one, there's no doubt this talented, thoughtful young performer has a huge future ahead of him.