Tom Holland is opening up about how Zendaya was affected by his intense role in the new psychological thriller “The Crowded Room.”
The 27-year-old actor mentioned his “Spider-Man: No Way Home” co-star, whom he has been rumored to be dating for years, in a recent interview with RadioTimes.com while discussing his challenging new part.
In the Apple TV+ miniseries, which released its first three episodes on June 9, Holland portrays a man named Danny Sullivan who was arrested for his involvement in a shooting. Throughout the show, Danny recalls important moments in his life that led to the shooting.
“The Crowded Room” takes place in the 1970s, meaning Holland had to tackle playing a troubled character and sporting a long, disheveled hairstyle.
Both Holland and Zendaya, 26, had to deal with his shag hairdo as he filmed the show for 10 months, he told the British outlet.
“I would come home from work and I would see myself in the mirror and I would see him,” he shared. “So it did take a while to figure out how to put him to bed and wake Tom up and get on with my life and be myself. But I figured it out and was very happy and healthy.”
He managed it, but it was still an adjustment for him, and Zendaya.
Holland continued, “And also I had the bangs. Bless Zendaya, she had a lot to put up with, with me looking like that for 10 months. It was rough.”
Plus, Danny’s hair is darker than Holland’s usual reddish-brown locks. Holland shared he was not a fan of the darker look.
“I really like how my hair is like my mum’s, kind of red,” he said. “Yeah, it was tough. That was a part of the show that I don’t miss for sure.”
The “Uncharted” actor pointed out that making a film takes around four months, but the extended shooting schedule for a television show meant he had to play his character “day in and day out” for almost a year.
“I really did find myself kind of morphing with him in certain moments,” he added. "And obviously I had that crazy hairstyle."
His comments mark a rare glimpse into his personal life and his relationship with Zendaya, although the two have never publicly confirmed their romance.
Zendaya showed support for his new role (and hair) on June 1 when she wished Holland a happy birthday on Instagram.
She uploaded a couple photos to her Instagram story that showed her co-star poking his head out of the water and making a heart shape with his hands. In another Instagram story, she added a heart-eye emoji to a snap of Holland smiling while standing near the ocean.
In between the pictures, she included a trailer of Holland’s miniseries.
Since then, the “Euphoria” star has shared other clips from his show on her Instagram stories.
He has been promoting his latest project on his page, too. However, he has also been transparent about the lasting impact the show has had on him.
Danny’s dark persona is a sharp departure from some of Holland’s optimistic teenage characters. In an interview with “Extra” on June 6, he said he needed to take a yearlong break from acting after working on “The Crowded Room,” which was inspired by the nonfiction book “The Minds of Billy Milligan” by Daniel Keyes.
Holland, who also served as executive producer on the miniseries, explained, “We were exploring certain emotions that I have definitely never experienced before, and then on top of that being a producer dealing with the day-to-day kind of problems that come with any film set just added that extra level of pressure, but I really enjoyed it.”
He said it took a toll on him.
“But then again, the show did break me,” he revealed. “There did come a time where I was sort of like, ‘I need to have a break.’ I disappeared. I went to Mexico for a week and had some time on a beach and lay low.”
His time away will continue. “I’m now taking a year off, and that is a result of how difficult this show was,” he said.