Holland felt comfortable asking Zendaya’s honest opinion about a scene, which led to improvements.
The director was open to their feedback and reworked the scene, resulting in a better outcome.
Holland admires Zendaya’s talent and believes she is one of the best actors working today.
Tom Holland is opening up about how working alongside Zendaya comes with a unique advantage that helped create a standout moment in their upcoming movie.
Source: Justin Goff Photos / Getty
During the Tuesday, June 2 episode of Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, the 30-year-old actor reflected on the trust and creative connection he shares with his real-life fiancée, Zendaya, both on and off set.
“I couldn’t imagine doing what I do without her,” Holland said of Zendaya, 29. “We had an amazing moment on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. And it’s only because of our relationship that this happened.”
Holland recalled filming a scene for the highly anticipated Marvel film when he started having doubts about how it was coming together.
According to the actor, his portion of the scene had already been filmed when it was time to shoot Zendaya’s coverage. Because of their close relationship, he felt comfortable asking for her honest opinion.
“We’re doing her coverage, and I would never ever dream of saying this to an actress that I wasn’t with,” Holland explained, before adding, “So I said, ‘Do you think that this scene is working?’ And she was like, ‘No, I don’t think the scene is working at all.’ So I then went to the producers and asked, ‘Do you think the scene is working?’”
After hearing similar feedback from the producers, Holland decided to bring the issue directly to director Destin Daniel Cretton.
“‘Hey, man, listen, I know we’ve been shooting for hours and I hate to tell you this, but I just, I don’t think that this scene is working. Z and I, like what we’re supposed to feel, we’re not feeling it in the moment,’” he recalled telling the filmmaker.
Thankfully, Holland said Cretton handled the criticism with grace, and the actor praised the director for remaining “calm” and listening to their concerns. Cretton ultimately sent the crew home for the day and worked with one of the writers to rework the scene.
“We came in the next day, we reshot the scene, and I’m so glad that we did because it sings in the movie,” Holland shared.
Looking back, the England native admitted the whole situation would have felt pretty awkward if he had been working opposite anyone else.
“It was just so funny, like, I was thinking about, like, if this wasn’t Zendaya that I was sitting across from, imagine on someone else’s coverage being like, ‘Do you think this is working?’ ” he quipped, adopting a judgmental tone.
The actor also didn’t hold back when discussing his admiration for his other half’s talent.
“I think she’s I think she’s the best actor going,” he gushed. “I really think she has something special…What I love about watching her work as an actress is she’s just fearless.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters on July 31.
