Spider-Man actor Tom Holland has revealed he’s been sober for the past 16 months, after having a “meltdown at home”.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Holland revealed the toll that filming his new Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room took on him, leading the actor to learn more about mental health.
In the series, Holland plays Danny Sullivan, a man arrested for his involvement in a New York City shooting in 1979.
Holland told Vanity Fair: “Learning about mental health and the power of it, and speaking to psychiatrists about Danny’s struggles, has been something that has been so informative to my own life.”
“I’m no stranger to the physical aspects of the job, doing the whole action-movie thing. But the mental aspect, it really beat me up, and it took a long time for me to recover afterward, to sort of get back to reality.”
Holland went on to say that, nine months into filming the show, he struggled to separate himself from the character and it was manifesting in his personal life.
“I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life,” Holland 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’.
“And obviously, we were mid-shooting, so I decided not to. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”
The actor added that he hopes viewers watching the series will leave with “more respect and more sympathy for people who are going through mental health issues”.
He added: “I hope that people will feel educated about the powers of mental health, the struggles, [and] our incredible abilities to survive.”
The Crowded Room premieres on Apple TV+ on June 9.
Alcohol Change UK offers information, advice and support with their questions about drinking and the problems that can sometimes be caused by alcohol. For more information, visit Alcohol Change UK’s website. Drinkline also offers free, confidential advice to anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else’s drinking on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm).
