Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Tom Holland

Discover the career path of Tom Holland, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Tom Holland is an English actor recognized with several awards, including a BAFTA Award. He was featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Europe list in 2019. He is recognized as one of the most popular actors of his generation. As of 2025, Holland's films have grossed over $9.9 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2006: Performance at Richmond Dance Festival

In 2006, Tom Holland performed with his school group at the Richmond Dance Festival, where he was spotted by choreographer Lynne Page.

June 2008: Debut performance in Billy Elliot

In June 2008, Tom Holland made his debut performance as Michael Caffrey in Billy Elliot the Musical at the West End's Victoria Palace Theatre.

2008: Secured supporting part in Billy Elliot

In 2008, after two years of training, Tom Holland secured a supporting part in Billy Elliot the Musical and was later upgraded to the title role that year.

2008: Promotion to lead role in Billy Elliot

Later in 2008, Tom Holland and co-star Tanner Pflueger were promoted to the lead role in Billy Elliot the Musical.

2010: End of Billy Elliot the Musical work

After his work on Billy Elliot the Musical finished in 2010, Tom Holland began to explore other opportunities in acting.

2010: End of Billy Elliot run

In 2010, Tom Holland's run as the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical came to an end.

2011: Voicing role in Arrietty

In 2011, after Billy Elliot the Musical, Tom Holland voiced a role in the British dub of the Japanese animated fantasy film Arrietty.

2012: Named a UK Star of Tomorrow

In 2012, Tom Holland appeared on Screen International's "UK Stars of Tomorrow", marking him as a promising newcomer in film.

2012: Film debut in The Impossible

In 2012, Tom Holland made his film debut in The Impossible, playing a teenage tourist trapped in a tsunami. He received critical acclaim for his performance.

2012: Audition for The Impossible

In 2012, Tom Holland sent an audition tape to Juan Antonio Bayona for a part in The Impossible, leading to him being cast in the film.

2013: Appearance in How I Live Now

In 2013, Tom Holland appeared in the film How I Live Now, continuing to pursue acting as a full-time career.

2014: Cameo in Billy Elliot the Musical Live

In 2014, Tom Holland had a cameo in Billy Elliot the Musical Live, revisiting his earlier stage role.

June 2015: Signing deal with Marvel Studios

In June 2015, Tom Holland signed a six-picture deal with Marvel Studios to play Spider-Man, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2015: Roles in Wolf Hall, Tweet, and In the Heart of the Sea

In 2015, Tom Holland appeared in Wolf Hall, directed the short film Tweet, and co-starred in In the Heart of the Sea, showcasing his diverse talents.

2015: Directing Tweet

In 2015, Tom Holland directed the short film Tweet, showcasing his talents behind the camera.

2015: Featured on The Hollywood Reporter's "Next Gen"

In 2015, Tom Holland featured on The Hollywood Reporter's "Next Gen 2015", a list of promising newcomers in film.

2015: Roles in In the Heart of the Sea and Wolf Hall

In 2015, Tom Holland played historical figures in the film In the Heart of the Sea and the miniseries Wolf Hall, further establishing his acting career.

2016: International recognition as Spider-Man

In 2016, Tom Holland achieved international recognition for playing Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, marking his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

2016: Co-starring in Edge of Winter

In 2016, Tom Holland co-starred in the psychological thriller Edge of Winter, marking his first film without his parents' knowledge.

2016: First appearance as Spider-Man

In 2016, Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

2017: Winning the BAFTA Rising Star Award

At the 70th British Academy Film Awards in 2017, Tom Holland won the Rising Star Award, recognizing his growing prominence in the film industry.

2017: Solo feature in Spider-Man: Homecoming

In 2017, Tom Holland starred in Spider-Man: Homecoming, earning a Guinness World Record as the youngest actor to play a title role in the MCU.

2018: Reprising role as Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War

In 2018, Tom Holland reprised his role as Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War, continuing his involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

2019: Reprising role as Spider-Man in Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home

In 2019, Tom Holland reprised his role as Spider-Man in Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, gaining widespread positive reviews and achieving box-office success.

2019: Views on Film Industry Representation and Marvel Films

In 2019, Tom Holland spoke for more representation of racial minorities and the LGBT community in film. He also defended Marvel films as "real art" when Martin Scorsese criticised them.

2019: Spider-Man: Far From Home release

In 2019, Tom Holland starred in Spider-Man: Far From Home, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide, becoming a major success.

2019: "Chaos Walking" Reshoots

In early 2019, "Chaos Walking" required several reshoots, adding $15 million to its budget, bringing the total cost to $100 million.

November 2020: The Devil All the Time success on Netflix

By November 2020, The Devil All the Time, starring Tom Holland, was the 22nd-most watched straight-to-streaming title of the year, according to a Variety report.

2020: Role in The Devil All the Time and Onward

In 2020, Tom Holland expanded to play against-type roles in The Devil All the Time and voiced in Onward.

2020: Voicing roles in Dolittle and Onward

In 2020, Tom Holland voiced roles in the live-action film Dolittle and the Pixar animated film Onward, collaborating with MCU co-stars.

November 2021: Voice of Percy Pig and Release of Spider-Man: No Way Home

In November 2021, Tom Holland voiced Percy Pig in Marks & Spencer's Christmas food specials advertisements. Later that year, in December, he reprised his role as Peter Parker in "Spider-Man: No Way Home", which became the highest-grossing film of 2021, earning over $1 billion at the box office.

2021: Doubt About Reprising Spider-Man Role

In 2021, Tom Holland expressed doubts about reprising his role as Spider-Man, especially after he turns 30 in 2026, and voiced his desire to see Miles Morales as the protagonist in a live-action Spider-Man film. He also prepared for his role as Nathan Drake in the film adaptation of "Uncharted".

2021: Release of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Cherry

In 2021, Tom Holland starred in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which became the highest-grossing film of the year, and also played against-type in Cherry.

2021: Release of Three Films

In 2021, Tom Holland starred in three films, including the crime drama "Cherry", based on Nico Walker's novel, where he played a college student with PTSD and a drug addiction. He also starred in "Chaos Walking", an adaptation of Patrick Ness's science fiction series. Both films marked significant moments in his career, showcasing his range as an actor, although "Chaos Walking" received poor reviews and failed to recoup its budget.

Cherry: A novel

Check it on Amazon

2022: Action film role in Uncharted

In 2022, Tom Holland had another action film role in Uncharted, expanding his filmography.

2023: Starring in "The Crowded Room"

In 2023, Tom Holland starred in and executive produced the Apple TV+ miniseries "The Crowded Room", which was inspired by the 1981 non-fiction novel "The Minds of Billy Milligan".

The Minds of Billy Milligan

Check it on Amazon

May 2024: West End Revival of Romeo and Juliet

From May 2024, Tom Holland returned to the stage as Romeo in Jamie Lloyd's West End revival of Romeo and Juliet, which ran for twelve weeks.

October 2024: Launch of BERO Low-Alcohol Beer

In October 2024, Tom Holland launched BERO, a low-alcohol beer brand.

2024: Creation of Billy17 and Deal with Sony Pictures

In 2024, Tom Holland created his own production company, named Billy17, and secured a deal with Sony Pictures. He will also star in Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey" and his fourth Spider-Man film.