Undeniably, since the moment he appeared in Captain America: Civil War as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Tom Holland established himself as an MCU fan favorite. However, his charisma goes beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether it is for his boyish looks or for his inability to keep a professional secret, Tom Holland has earned everyone's heart.Currently one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, Holland has kept himself busy in the last years. Besides playing the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, he has starred in several big-budget films, most of which have been praised by critics. Regardless, even those that haven't been a complete success allow Holland to showcase his talent, which has positioned him as one of the most important actors of his generation.
10 Pilgrimage Turned Holland Into A Young Irish Monk
The 2017 Irish film Pilgrimage, directed by Brendan Muldowney, is a historical drama that follows a group of monks as they transport a relic across Ireland in the 13th Century. Their trip takes a turn for the worse when they stumble upon a group of Gaelic warriors.
Together with Jon Bernthal and Richard Armitage, Tom Holland stars in this film as Brother Diarmuid, the youngest monk in the group, naïve but always willing to question the motivations behind the monks' quest. The actor filmed this movie while auditioning for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the MCU.
9 Holland Is A Cabin Boy In The Film In The Heart Of The Sea
In The Heart Of The Sea, by Ron Howard, depicts the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820, which inspired Herman Melville's classic Moby Dick. The film, based on a homonym book, begins with an older Thomas Nickerson (played by Brendan Gleeson) as he tells his story to Melville through flashbacks.
Tom Holland plays a younger version of Thomas Nickerson in In The Heart Of The Sea. At the time of the sinking, he's a 14-year-old cabin boy who is forced to consume human flesh to survive the disaster. According to Holland, in order to prepare for this role, he went on a strict diet of only 500 calories a day.
8 Edge Of Winter Marks Is One Of Holland's Rawest Performances
Edge of Winter stars Tom Holland and Percy Hynes White, as Bradley and Caleb, two teenagers forced to hang out with their mentally ill father, Elliot, during a camping trip. What originally was just a hassle becomes a nightmare after Elliot (Joel Kinnaman) becomes incapable of controlling his own rage.
Even though this film wasn't particularly famous, most reviewers admitted to being impressed by Holland and Hynes White's performances. Though none of them were older than 20, both boys managed to convey the horror and sadness that comes from seeing a loved one descend into madness.
7 Chaos Walking Features Holland As A Dystopian Hero
Based on the first book in the sci-fi trilogy of the same name, Chaos Walking follows Todd Hewitt, a young man living in a dystopian world where there aren't any women and every living creature can hear and see each other's thoughts. Todd lives with his adoptive parents, Ben and Cillian, in New World when a spaceship with a woman, Viola, crashes on his planet.
Chaos Walking stars Tom Holland as Todd and Daisy Ridley as Viola. Since the movie was filmed when each actor had other commitments — Ridley to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Holland's to Spider-Man: Far From Home — it ended up costing $15 million more than expected due to scheduling conflicts.
6 Holland Voices A MIT Nerd In Spies In Disguise
The 20th Century Fox animated film Spies in Disguise follows Lance Sterling, an arrogant but efficient spy after he's transformed into a pigeon by Walter Beckett, a 15-year-old MIT genius who works for Sterling's spy agency. The film follows Sterling and Beckett as they chase a Japanese arms dealer, Katsu Kimura.
Tom Holland voiced Walter Beckett in Spies In Disguise while Will Smith lent his voice for Lance Sterling. Funnily enough, Smith and Holland never met during the making of this film. Instead, they met after that, while doing an escape room together during the film's promotion.
5 In The Current War, Holland Played A Real-Life Magnate
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's The Current War re-imagines the events that occurred during the "war of the currents," which was the race between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to provide electricity to the United States with their respective systems.
The Current War stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison, Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse, and Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla. Additionally, it includes Tom Holland as Samuel Insull, the real-life innovator who contributed to creating the U.S. electrical infrastructure.
4 Holland Voices A Shy Elf In Pixar's Onward
Pixar's 22nd feature film, Onward, tells the story of Ian and Barley Lightfoot, two elves living in a technologically advanced time where magic isn't necessary anymore. The film follows Ian and Barley's fantastic quest to resurrect their father and the magical obstacles they stumble upon along the way.
Tom Holland voices Ian Lightfoot, an insecure and socially anxious elf who believes speaking with his father one more time will help him go through his puberty. Alongside Holland, Chris Pratt, voices Barley, Ian's extroverted and chill older brother, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Laurel, their mother. These three actors portray characters in the MCU.
3 Cherry Stars Holland As An Heroine Addict With PTSD
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Cherry depicts Cherry's life as it spirals down from being a college student to being a war veteran, and bank robber addicted to heroin who only wants to deal with his PTSD. The movie is an adaptation of the 2018 novel of the same title written by Nico Walker, who based Cherry on himself.
Cherry, which stars Tom Holland as Cherry, was widely criticized for being unoriginal and pretentious. However, according to Rotten Tomatoes, Cherry allowed Holland to showcase his acting skills, which made the film a bit more bearable.
2 Holland Portrayed A Treasure Hunter In Uncharted
Uncharted, based on the Naughty Dog video game franchise, tells the story of Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan, two fortune hunters on a quest to find the Magellan expedition's fabled treasure before it ends up in the wrong hands. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Uncharted is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2022.
While Mark Wahlberg plays Victor Sullivan, Tom Holland portrays Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter and bartender who is a descendant of Sir Francis Drake, the famous explorer. Uncharted marks the first time Tom Holland is the executive producer of a film.
1 People Loved Holland In The Devil All The Time
The Devil All the Time depicts an intergenerational story about violence and corruption. It's based on the book of the same name written by Donald Ray Pollock. The film, which was directed by Antonio Campos, explores how evil is often intertwined with faith in America in previous decades of the 20th century.
Tom Holland portrays Arvin Russell, a young man raised by a traumatized World War II veteran in a backwoods town full of corrupt characters. The Devil All the Time shows Arvin's struggle to protect himself and the people he loves amidst the postwar decadence. Although this film was criticized for its dark tone, Holland's performance as a deeply scarred man was widely praised.