#bero launch

*UPDATED*

***SPOILER-FILLED AND VERY VERY LONG POST***

My reactions, thought and feelings about this interview:

I like his tan! Very California of him 😉

I LOVE his outfit - sexy af

Tom admits he’s more guarded in official interviews than on podcasts - he says he likes podcasts more.

I like Tom’s analysis of the Londoner stranger stance - the immediate suspicion when a stranger approaches you. After HOMECOMING he says he genuinely didn’t understand why anyone would want a picture with him. That has changed now, naturally.

I have very mixed feelings about his Dad and curious why he rarely mentions his Mom (I have feelings about this). Relationship with parents are a tricky business; easy to judge on the outside but there is almost always a lot going on below the surface.

Tom has said publicly that he never wanted to be an actor when he was a kid but has since found a year book from his primary school days. Apparently at the age of 6 or 7, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up he said “actor” - he totally forgot about this. This gave rise to a short conversation on manifestation which I’ll avoid because it is a super complex thing for me.

I like hearing more about his road to becoming Billy. I appreciate the question Rich asked. He basically asked Tom what he thought the choreographer saw in him that caused them to invest in trainers for him for 2 years (he was training everyday and went to summer intensives etc). I like Tom’s answer. I think that’s what I personally see in him too. T said he was open and honest and authentic not necessarily the most talented and maybe that appealed to them. And maybe that is a gift he gives to the world. His magnetic authenticity. I am wildly attracted to authentic and emotionally open people and he’s been like this since he was a kid and he’s still like this now. I’m particularly fascinated to see what an open, authentic, emotionally available man looks like loving a woman this way; hence my obsession with how he seems to love Z.

I think some of Tom’s advantages become even more obvious here. He had parents (mother) who saw his talent and valued it enough to put him in a dance school, despite what people would say about putting a little boy in dance. He had people who saw his potential and invested time and money in it. These are invaluable things that all kids need but a lot don’t get. I’m thrilled he got it but I’m acutely aware of those who are just as deserving and don’t get it.

Also, when people invest in you, it unconsciously sends you a strong message that you are worth it - your talents and gifts are valuable. This is a beautiful message he likely received and something I crave for all children.

Granny Tess took him to THE IMPOSSIBLE audition 🥹

I love that he cut his hair for R & J thinking it would make him tougher but instead he looked 12 😂

R & J was a somewhat impulsive decision but the pressure allowed him to really invest in the experience. He said it was “fucking tough” and “intense” but ultimately “an amazing experience.”

Also, Z thought his Danny hair was handsome but he thought she was just being kind.

He also considers Tom Rothman at Sony to be “American Dad” - describes him as a mentor.

Noon story! At 38:39 - this story will delight Noon fans - he did exactly what Voldemort version of Noon would do and it was very satisfying to hear. Also, gone are the days when noon was Z’s dog. Noon is his now.

His decision making around his projects: “is this something I’d like to watch? Am I going to enjoy making this?” Or “Do I believe in the story? Am I passionate about it?”

He has three or four projects that he’s juggling right now. 👀

Tom love Jake. I know duh - but he said it again in this interview so I said it too.

Fun fact: RDJ strongly advocated for Tom’s full 8 pages of dialogue to be shot in Civil War instead of a scaled down 2 pages from his audition. All 8 pages are included in the film. Well done RDJ!

Also, Carpenter Tom made an appearance. He says, “one of my fav things is if something breaks in Zendaya’s house; I take huge pride in fixing it.” He is so proud of himself. It’s adorable.

I think one of things I want in this life is to just listen to TH talk to me for hours. I don’t get tired of hearing him speak - the sound of his voice, how he expresses himself, how he thinks and feels about things…those eyes…

I like hearing how much he wants to be a mentor for Miles Morales.

Tom had a conversation about his liver with his doctor. That’s scary at a young age.

I found it interesting that he made his decision to never drink again at the year 1 mark. I would have loved to hear more about that. He says after 1 year of not drinking, he was the best version of himself.

Some insights he shared into his drinking patterns: when he drank, he couldn’t stop. He says he’s polished off a minibar by himself 1 too many times and Marvel flagged it. The night before his screen test with RDJ - he finished every drink in his minibar.

He wasn’t necessarily destructive or messy or even got into trouble; he just couldn’t stop - it is such a wise thing to be able to catch your addiction at this stage before truly horrible circumstances happen.

Tom at Sony and Amy Pascal and his lawyer have all been unofficial sponsors at moments of vulnerability where he had the urge to drink. I know folks in this fandom have complicated feelings about Amy but he trusts her.

He shared that he was accidentally given an alcoholic drink recently and it upset him greatly. This also tugged at my heart. He was minding his own business and then hit with a massive trigger. He reached to Amy and she helped him through it.

RDJ has been an ally in Tom’s sobriety - no surprise there but nice to know.

So this is the part that really really tugged at my heart. Tom admits that in social situations, especially, Hollywood-like ones, he is very uncomfortable and “not confident”. He would have to get drunk in order to speak to anyone at those kinds of parties 😭

As someone who suffers from social anxiety and has a sibling that it debilitates, it is a deeply miserable experience. Alcohol literally erases it. I deeply relate to the suffering it causes. Tom is so outgoing and open and articulate, it may be hard to imagine him as a person with social anxiety but it happens to all kinds of people from all walks of life and it can be crippling.

One of the reasons we don’t see him in campaigns anymore (e.g. Prada) is because he is uncomfortable seeing himself on billboards and selling as just Tom Holland - easier to see himself that way in a role. I’m curious about his awareness of the origins of his social anxiety.

While Tom is a confident person, I think there are some areas of self-doubt that he may have yet to discover as he progresses on his journey. Or he may already know and not want to share; but he’s pretty open about his inner world so maybe yet to learn.

I wonder what Z’s role is in his sobriety.

As someone much older than T and who works doing advanced/long term psychotherapy with folks from all walks of life, including folks struggling with substance abuse; there is something I’m going to say that might be interpreted as criticism (this is said in the context of me thinking he’s a fantastic human being). I think a sobriety journey is impossible alone and there is a hint of ‘pulling yourself up by your bootstraps’ vibe that he gives off that might not be helpful for him or for anyone listening in the long run. He seems to have an incredible support system around him that he trusts and that actually feels supportive to him but this is not the norm for a lot of people. I’m so incredibly glad that the people around him take such good care of him, but some people need professional help or a therapeutic community because the people around them contribute to their substance abuse.

I suspect that T is emotionally open, honest and vulnerable and the people around him are respectful and responsive to him which is amazing and I hope it never changes. For others, I just want to say if that’s not the case for you there is still hope. There are people that want to help and want to understand and know you - professional and otherwise. You may not be as well known and revered as TH but you matter and are just as valuable. And I’m sorry that it’s often so hard to find people who can truly support you well.

Others important points from the interview: he’s been working on Bero give or take a year; 7 mths branding and marketing. He loves this part of it.

I will never, ever, get over him naming one of his beers after Noon (aka his way of acknowledging how important Zendaya is to him without using her name) - this is peak adorable couple shit that I’m here for all day long. The other bears represent the school he went to and the town he grew up in. I really hope they share the rest of their lives together.

Tom is struggling with his decisions around Spiderman. He finally has some power, especially to say no and he is struggling to figure out the right thing to do for himself, the character and the fans, not just the studio. He has had to put his foot down on certain things. He wants to do Spiderman 4 and even more than one but no decision yet.

He and Z are excited about the draft they have, which is awesome. There are a lot of moving parts and a narrow window of time to get it all done but he is optimistic. T likes that the creative process so far has been collaborative.

The question that keeps him up at night re Spiderman, ‘is this the right thing to do? Am I going to do justice to the character? Am I going to do justice to the fans?’

Overall, I appreciate the interview and the research done by the interviewer.

One thing I lament (but also wholeheartedly support) is how much TZ has to guard their relationship in order to keep it safe. I 1000% think it is wise to do and I hope they do it for as long as they can.

What is missed though is the opportunity for us to learn more about what a secure romantic relationship can look like between a man and a woman. We see beautiful glimpses of it but I suspect that they have a lot of wisdom to share about the ups and downs of a long term love and also the ups and downs of being in a partnership where one person has a substance abuse problem. BUT they owe us absolutely nothing. Let them continue to protect the thing that is clearly precious to both of them. Godspeed to them both.

In closing, I appreciate how passionate a person he is and how much he willing to live his life based on what he believes is right, not on what the public thinks he should do with his career or his love or other work. This will serve him well both now and in the future.

My personal highlights:

He should only wear white - he looks great

He looks so excited! His energy is infectious.

We got the R & J wave.

Why exactly am I grinning from ear to ear just watching him?

He’s really just a ball of delight, isn’t he?

“THE DISRESPECT!” - It was so funny to learn that Andrew and Tobey got the perks on their suit that Tom did not.

The Halloween story is fucking hilarious and is so TH-coded. Peak talk-show story.

Spiderman 4 is happening! Shooting begins Summer 2025.

Needed more of the Timmy and Tom rizz master banter. I love that he said strongly agreed to being a rizz master 😂 - iykuk

(Side note I notice on some press interviews and talk shows that they try to do this whole is who is more handsome with him and Timmy. I love how Timmy always talks about how Tom is a rizz master and Tom talks about how Timmy is “double handsome”)

The conspiracy part of me thinks they excluded Noon Wheat to avoid questions about him and Zendaya.

He really did look so stressed in the game segment.

‘He almost hooked up with his mom’ - to describe Back to the Future. I died.

***HIGHLIGHTS***

He says he’s speaking from “our” little home office in LA 🥰

Sam is working on a book

I was today years old when I learned that Granny Tess is Irish 🤦🏾‍♀️

Best pizza he’s ever had is Focaccia al Tartufo at Mamo’s in NYC - he describes it as a truffle pizza with white sauce 😂

He has a green egg BBQ and loves it - I wanted to hear more about his own cooking now

‘The perfect match is when a square meets a circle and they become an oval’ - he a fucking poet this guy

He doesn’t like oysters 🙃

“We are going to a friends house for dinner” later that day. Very couple-like. ☺️

Sam always wanted to know why the food was good. He really enjoys Sam’s cooking - doing a lot of shout outs for his instagram page etc

T feels most comfortable on stage

He says he wants to continue to perform on stage and in movies as long as he can

He is very humble about what he actually does for a living as a storyteller. I appreciate that he has the ability to not take himself so seriously but I also think storytellers have the power to connect, support and uplift. Andrew Garfield said performers/storytellers are like cultural shamen (sha-person?) - powerful influencers in a culture. I agree with him. Storyteller is a very important role in our culture for better or worse.

He is really proud of himself around his sobriety journey - First year was the toughest part

How many times have I replayed this you ask? Many, many, MANY times