Tom Holland will never do another lip-sync battle after his Rihanna 'Umbrella' number: ‘I'd rather play golf'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tom Holland, best known for his role as 'Spider-Man,' is the male lead in the riveting psychological thriller 'The Crowded Room'. The series, based on the gripping true story depicted in the 1981 book 'The Minds of Billy Milligan,' has its first three episodes out now on Apple TV+
During his recent promotional activities and interviews for the show, Holland took a moment to reflect on his iconic dance performance to Rihanna's hit song 'Umbrella' back in 2017. As part of the film promotion for 'Spider-Man: Homecoming,' Holland had made a memorable appearance on the renowned US TV show 'Lip Sync Battle', where celebrities engage in lip-syncing competitions. In Season 3, Episode 16, Holland went up against Zendaya. He chose to perform Rihanna's 2007 hit in drag and became an instant viral sensation, with his charismatic performance dressed in fishnet tights, a black bob wig, and a full face of makeup.
'You’d never catch me doing that now'
The 27-year-old British actor expressed his sense of pride in the viral moment, but emphasized that fans "would never catch him" doing anything like that now. Holland told The Hollywood Reporter, "I’m proud of it. I like that it left a lasting impact. It was an amazing time. My life was changing before my eyes. Spider-Man was coming out. I was on the up. I was getting offers and turning them down for the first time, which was really crazy."
However, the actor made it clear that he has no intention of appearing on the TV show again. "You’d never catch me doing that now. Just because I don’t want to do a f***ing TV show that I don’t need to do. I’d rather go and play golf and live my little private life," said Holland. "It is an interesting one," said the actor. "Because I’ve really worked hard in my career and I’ve really been calculated in deciding what it is I do and when I do it. And for all the movies that I’m incredibly proud of, the Lip Sync Battle is what I get the most compliments for."
'I didn’t realise what I was doing was so forward-thinking'
Despite the performance being celebrated as progressive, Holland clarified that he did not intend to make any statement about masculinity through his act. "I don’t give a f***. I’ve grown up in the most non-toxic masculine environment possible. I didn’t realise what I was doing was so forward-thinking," he explained. "I was just like, 'Yeah, f*** it, I’ll put some fishnets on and dance in the rain. That’ll be really fun. I don’t care.'"
Tom Holland's 'The Crowded Room' premiered on June 9, 2023, where he stars alongside Emmy Rossum and Amanda Seyfried.