How Tom Holland Really Went Above And Beyond On The Spider-Man: No Way Home Set, According To Zendaya

Michelle and Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home
(Image credit: Sony)

By now, it’s become pretty clear that Zendaya and Tom Holland have become incredibly close. It makes sense, considering the two have made three Spider-Man movies. As a result, the two have also naturally come to understand how the other works. And it sounds as though the actress has a particular amount of praise for the way her co-star handles himself. Just recently, she spoke in detail about what it was like to watch him during the production of No Way Home.

Being a massive Hollywood actor isn’t the easiest job in the world. While there’s a level of comfort and prestige that comes with the life, one can become overwhelmed. It goes without saying that the Spider-Man role comes with great responsibility (no pun intended), so there’s certainly pressure for Tom Holland. But Zendaya says that he’s fully embraced it, and that his enthusiasm for the part is clear to see in his interactions with people:

There are many things, obviously, that I appreciate. In an actor way, I appreciate that he really loves being Spider-Man. It's a lot of pressure — you take on the role of a superhero wherever you go. To the little kid who walks by, you are Spider-Man. I think he handled that so well. And seeing him at work, even though he's not a Virgo [laughs], he is a perfectionist.

This actually wasn’t something that came easy to the British actor. He specifically found it somewhat hard to keep his composure and maintain the necessary energy while speaking with his fans, and he credits Zendaya for helping him to nail that down. Of course, aside from the public interactions, there’s the work itself, which can be physically taxing. Yet the Euphoria actress further explained to InStyle that her co-star does it without a fuss, even when the day seems grueling:

Our director allowed me to come in every day [of the shoot], and it was cool to see how he cares so much about his work and making it right. I watched him do a fight scene all day, which is exhausting. He'd do a move, come back to the monitors, watch it, and say, ‘I can do that better.’ I'd be like, ‘Dude, you got it.’ But he wants us to be perfect, and I really appreciate that.

The actor’s sense of perfectionism is likely one of the key reasons Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man films have been so successful. On screen, the 25-year-old Tom Holland seems to throw himself into the role of a teenage crime-fighter. And although the actor can’t participate in every stunt in the movies, he has proven he has the physicality to perform a number of them. 

The camaraderie between Zendaya and Tom Holland is just lovely to see, and it’s probably one of the biggest reasons the public ships them so hard. The two haven’t confirmed if they’re truly in a relationship, but their recent outings over the past few months have people speculating. And Holland’s recent birthday message (complete with an adorable nickname) for his co-star only fueled those rumors. 

Relationship status aside, fans are sure to be curious what lies ahead for the characters in the web-slinger’s next big-screen adventure. Spidey’s impending multiverse adventure looks wild, so we’ll see if Peter and Michelle’s relationship can withstand the craziness. But regardless of whether it does or doesn’t, it’s nice to know the actors behind the roles are thick as thieves in real life. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on December 17, 2021.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.