Tom Holland had such a “difficult” time making The Crowded Room that he’s taking a yearlong break from acting, but it wasn’t just the Apple TV+ series’ heavy subject matter that took a toll on the Spider-Man star.
In a June interview with RadioTimes.com, Holland spoke about the physical transformation he underwent to play Danny Sullivan, a traumatized young man arrested in connection to a New York City shooting in 1979. “In my career, I’ve always felt like I’ve been very good at leaving work at work, and for the first time with The Crowded Room, it really did start bleeding into my personal life,” he said. “And I think a large reason for that is when you make a film, it only takes four months, and that would be considered a long film. But The Crowded Room, it’s 10 months of playing this character, day in and day out. I really did find myself kind of morphing with him in certain moments. And obviously, I had that crazy hairstyle.”
To fit the era, Holland’s hair was dyed dark and cut into what could best be described as a mullet bob, complete with uneven jaw- and shoulder-length curls. “I don’t like my hair being that dark. I really like how my hair is like my mum’s, kind of red. Yeah, it was tough. That was a part of the show that I don’t miss for sure,” he said, explaining that he had trouble seeing himself in the mirror when he got home from set.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one. “And also I had the bangs,” he said. “Bless Zendaya—she had a lot to put up with, with me looking like that for 10 months; it was rough.”
Tom Holland and Zendaya met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016 and have been linked romantically since they were spotted making out in July 2021. Despite the Spider-Man dating curse, the pair have been going strong ever since. In April 2022, Zendaya opened up about Holland visiting the set of Euphoria. “I think it’s great to have that support and love around you because you need that,” Zendaya told Entertainment Tonight. “This isn’t an easy job, so it’s good to have that to free you up from it every now and then.”
