Tom Holland Admits: Some of My Films Were Terrible

Press tours can be brutal. Tom Holland knows it well — and he’s been unusually frank about the flip side of the publicity machine: sometimes, actors have to sell films they don’t actually stand behind.

On a recent episode of the Dish podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, Holland said he now savors the rare pleasure of promoting movies he truly believes in. He’s talking about The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, two sizable projects that, he says, left him genuinely satisfied with the finished product. When you believe in a film, the tough questions from journalists get easier. Simple as that.

But it wasn’t always that way. Holland admitted that early in his career there were projects he would privately advise people to skip. He described those moments with a bluntness you don’t often hear at press junkets: you smile, you nod, and inside you’re thinking ‘don’t bother.’ Short answer: he’s done faking enthusiasm.

This season feels different for him. With two big-budget releases lining up, Holland calls the promotion run almost celebratory — a chance to talk about work he’s proud of rather than sell something he regrets. The tone of an interview shifts when an actor is convinced of the story they’re telling. Conversations breathe. You can tell.

Another surprise from his podcast appearance: a bit of mentoring from Anne Hathaway during The Odyssey’s publicity rounds. Holland spent three days alongside Hathaway and came away noting how methodical and poised she is in interviews. He likened the experience to a crash course in handling media — small lessons about timing, tone, and how to steer a conversation without sounding rehearsed.

Holland’s candor is a reminder that the glossy surface of movie marketing sometimes hides messy realities. Yet it also underlines a simple truth: honest pride in your work changes the whole experience — for the actor and the audience. Want to see the difference for yourself? The films are about to find out if his newfound enthusiasm was well placed.