Tom Holland has expressed his admiration for his Marvel co-star Robert Downey Jr. a lot of times in his past interviews. In fact, the Spider-Man actor considers him his ultimate mentor and the one opinion he values the most, alongside Zendaya and Benedict Cumberbatch.
When Holland was trying to get to his role as Spider-Man, Downey Jr. helped the young star bring out the best in him. The Iron Man lead provided Holland with some insights that could help him stay grounded while performing.
Tom Holland Praised Robert Downey Jr. After Making Fun Of Dolittle
During an interview for his work on The Crowded Room via SAG-AFTRA Foundation, actor Tom Holland spoke about his mentors in the industry. It’s no surprise that he mentioned Robert Downey Jr. as one of his confidants. In the middle of the conversation, he made a little joke about the actor’s biggest flop project after leaving the MCU:
“Downey is very honest, sometimes a little too honest, and I’ve seen Dolittle bro. Don’t bring that up. I love him obviously, please, don’t cut that out.”
Surely, Holland regretted mentioning Dolittle, a fantasy adventure movie that bombed at the box office. To make up for his statement, he further added:
“But I really respect Downey’s opinion. He taught me so much, and I always sing his praises, and I love the guy. I admire him. I don’t know if you guys have seen Oppenheimer yet, but he’s absolutely staggering in it. He steals the movie for me.”
Downey Jr. broke his silence about the controversial failure of Dolittle and admitted he initially doubted the franchise. He told The New York Times:
“I finished the Marvel contract and then hastily went into what had all the promise of being another big, fun, well-executed potential franchise in Dolittle.”
Set in 19th century England, Dolittle followed the 58-year-old actor as the eponymous doctor who can speak to animals and was forced out of his recluse to save a young Queen Victoria after she became sick. Despite his hesitation, Downey Jr. still pushed for the project:
“I had some reservations. Me and my team seemed a little too excited about the deal and not quite excited enough about the merits of the execution. But at that point, I was bulletproof. I was the guru of all genre movies.”
Dolittle’s underwhelming performance was brought about by the effect of the pandemic, as well as the additional photography and visual effects that exceeded the production cost. Still, the actor’s legacy remains unscathed, especially after his outstanding performance in Avengers: Endgame.
Tom Holland Shares The One Advice Robert Downey Jr. Gave Him
Tom Holland also revealed in another interview with GQ the tip his mentor Robert Downey Jr. gave him to stay grounded while doing a scene:
“He took me to one side and said, ‘I remember the feeling. I’ve been through this before, and it is incredibly stressful. Enjoy the process and let your body take over,’ which is advice that I still use.”
Holland managed to use this helpful tip during one of his Spider-Man scenes where he found it difficult to enjoy a normal moment on set. He could not eat a bowl of cereal like a normal person, and director Jon Watts called him out.
Holland said, “Sorry, I’m leading with my head and I need to lead with my body.” It turned out to be the best acting advice he has ever received.
