Tom Holland might have been a part of blockbuster Marvel films, but nothing could ever top his 2017 Lip Sync Battle performance which is perhaps his most memorable one. He really rocked those fishnets, didn’t he?
Seeing the Spider-Man star perform an erotic dance routine clad in a black bustier to Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ on the stage might have raised an eyebrow or two. But was that Holland’s ultimate intent, to thwart unhealthy norms of stereotypical manliness by dressing up as a smoking hot woman? Not even close, or as Holland said, “Mm-mm.”
Tom Holland’s Iconic Lip Sync Battle – Was There More to It?
When Tom Holland went up against Zendaya on the Paramount Network show, the audience went berserk after witnessing his epic Gene Kelly to Rihanna transition; from a dashing (and extremely modest) black suit and fedora combination to a skimpy black outfit with diamond-adorned fishnet stockings and a black wig, the Uncharted star really broke the stage with his sensational routine.
Talking to THR, Holland, 27, reminisced about his showstopping performance from six years back and how it fills him with pride to this very date. Not because he was after the holy grail of breaking the shackles of toxic masculinity or anything of that sort, but because his life was going through a metamorphosis at the time, a transition, which signifies that it was, was happening in front of his very eyes.
“I’m proud of it. I like that it left a lasting impact. It was an amazing time. My life was changing before my eyes.”
Back then, Holland was on the cusp of stardom. He was gearing up for Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming, was swatting away offers for the first time ever, and he was going to Los Angeles to meet with high-profile filmmakers all by himself. It’s safe to say that period marked a milestone in his Hollywood tenure. So, no, there was no hidden message behind his iconic Umbrella gig.
“I don’t give a f*ck. I’ve grown up in the most non-toxic-masculine environment possible. I didn’t realize what I was doing was so forward-thinking. I was just like, ‘Yeah, f*ck it, I’ll put some fishnets on and dance in the rain. That’ll be really fun. I don’t care.’”
But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to do that again anytime soon.
He Wouldn’t Put on the Black Bustier Again Though
Sure, Holland did it for the heck of it during that time, but you’re unlikely to catch him shaking his a*s on the stage in a s*xy attire that is sure to steal all the spotlight and more; he’d rather visit the golf course and enjoy his privacy as much as he can.
“You’d never catch me doing that now. Just because I don’t want to do a fucking TV show that I don’t need to do. I’d rather go and play golf and live my little private life.”
Even so, despite all the award-winning films that The Crowded Room star has been the leading man in, his Lip Sync Battle is the one that he landed the most compliments for, and he absolutely loves it.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
