Tom Holland shared that his latest role made him examine his own mental health.
Known best for his starring role in Marvel's Spider-Man movies, Holland recently finished filming psychological thriller The Crowded Room, which is inspired by the story of the first person acquitted of a crime due to dissociative identity disorder, Billy Milligan. Holland plays series lead Danny Sullivan, which he shared became a role that impacted him deeply.
"Learning about mental health and the power of it and speaking to psychiatrists about Danny and Billy's struggles, has been something that has been so informative to my own life," the actor told Entertainment Weekly.
Holland revealed that the series helped him in "recognizing triggers" and "things that stress [him] out." Because of it, Holland said that he is now one year and four months sober.
Holland also said that the role was unlike "anything [he'd] ever experienced before," and that he experienced moments where it became hard to separate himself from the character.
"I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life," he explained. "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.'"
Still, Holland added that beyond helping him navigate his own mental health, he feels the role helped him to grow as an actor, as it was a shift away from the action movies and heroes he's used to.
"I've spent so long playing Nathan Drake and playing Spider-Man, who are characters that you can depend on, people you feel safe around, and, ultimately, people that feel really capable," Holland said. "I really enjoyed playing Danny in those earlier episodes where I was able to lean into my more vulnerable side."
