“Behind the Scenes: Tom Holland Reveals the Unexpected Struggle That Nearly Shattered His Sobriety on Set”

Tom Holland, the charismatic face behind Spider-Man, has recently bared his soul about a surprising challenge he faced during filming that nearly derailed his journey to sobriety. Now, one might wonder: can on-set tensions really tempt a sober superhero back into the clutches of alcohol? Surprisingly, Holland revealed that the ‘animosity’ surrounding his latest project, The Crowded Room, ignited a moment of vulnerability just a couple of months into his commitment to an alcohol-free life. Celebrated for his advocacy of the sober movement—he even launched a non-alcoholic beer brand called BERO—it seems the pressures of the entertainment world aren’t always as glamorous as they appear. As he marks the three-year anniversary of his decision to ditch the bottle, Holland opens up about the project that made him reconsider his newfound lifestyle and reflect on the emotional toll of that tumultuous experience. Curious about how he navigated these stormy waters? Then, you might want to stick around. LEARN MORE.

Tom Holland has revealed that on-set ‘animosity’ on a TV show he worked on led him to consider breaking his sobriety.

Spider-Man star Holland, 28, has become a well-known advocate over the past couple of years for the sober movement, even going as far as to launch his own non-alcoholic beer brand BERO last year.

To mark three years since he made the decision to cut out alcohol while doing Dry January, Holland has opened up on how his relationship with booze has changed in a new interview and revealed the one project with made him consider drinking again.

Tom Holland has made a sad admission about his sobriety journey (Euan Cherry/Getty Images)

Speaking about the topic to Men’s Health, the actor explained that it was while filming for AppleTV+ series The Crowded Room back in March 2022.

Adapted from non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan, Holland starred alongside alongside Amanda Seyfried, Lior Raz and Emmy Rossum, in the role of Danny Sullivan.

The series received largely mixed and negative reviews upon release, with Holland subsequently deciding to take an extended break from acting due to the difficulty of his character.

Reflecting on the show nearly three years on from filming, Holland revealed The Crowded Room had suffered from disagreements on set.

“There was quite a lot of animosity on that set. It was not a very harmonious place, and there was a lot of arguing and butting heads,” he said, adding that the disagreements were not creative debates, which is something he typically welcomes.

Just two months into his sobriety, Holland admitted it was a tough one for him. “I thought, ‘If I start drinking again now, with all this going on, it’s gonna get worse, right?’”

The actor has previously opened up about how he’d initially had no intention of staying sober after Dry January, as alcohol had been his ‘go-to’ when it came to either celebrating or commiserating over something.

“In doing Dry January, it really scared me because I had a really tough time,” he explained on an episode of the Rich Roll podcast.

“I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how much I was struggling without booze in that first month. And it really scared me.”

Tom Holland in The Crowded Room (Apple TV+)

Holland then added that he’d decided to continue his alcohol-free lifestyle into the following months in order to prove to himself that he didn’t have a problem.

“So I said to myself, if I can make it to June 1st, which is my birthday, and I can do six months without booze,” he said.

“I will have then proved to myself that I don’t have a problem. I’m just young and enjoying a drink. And then by the time I’d done six months sober, I really started feeling the benefits.”

Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.