Spider-Man actor revealed he was bullied for learning ballet and said: ‘It hardened me’
Tom Holland undoubtedly dominates our hearts. The actor, who plays Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, turns 25 today and we’re in awe of all he’s accomplished. But the journey to reach this place was not easy. In fact, during his elementary school years, the actor was bullied for taking a ballet lesson for a role he wanted.
In a 2017 conversation with his Spider-Man co-star Zendaya, Holland spoke of learning ballet when he was around 10 years old and being bullied because of it. Read everything he said below.
As reported by Interview Magazine, Zendaya began the interview by saying, “I’ll keep it simple,†and asked his Spider-Man co-star what he wanted to be as a kid. Tom Holland replied, “I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. My mom thought I could dance because I used to dance to this Janet Jackson song that she played when I was a baby.
Continuing further, Tom Holland added: “Then she would take me to a dance school on Saturday. I used to go there every week and was spotted by a Boy Scout, who suggested I audition for the role of Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical. When I started auditioning, I was too small and couldn’t dance. I went to a boys-only school, where I played rugby, so ballet wasn’t the coolest thing to do.
Asked by Zendaya if the kids at his school were mean to him because of it, Tom Holland replied, “I think that hardened me. I loved doing ballet. Speaking about getting the part in Billy Elliot the Musical and how ballet helped him, the birthday boy said, “I trained for two years. I auditioned every six months for Billy Elliot and got a little taller every time I went, and eventually I got the job. I am very happy to have had this training. It has been so valuable to my career and I have used it in almost everything I have done since.
While talking about bullying, Tom Holland told GQ in a 2019 interview, “I would do it in the school gym at lunchtime by myself, in pantyhose, with a teacher. So you have children looking out the windows. For a group of 10-year-olds who all play rugby, Tom Holland doing ballet in the gym isn’t that cool. But he added, “Uh, you know, that’s good. This is exactly what I had to do if I wanted to get this job.
Well, that’s the motivation and the dedication. Happy birthday, Tom.
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