Tom Holland announced in a recent video interview with Extra that he is taking the next year off from acting following the strenuous production of his new Apple TV+ crime thriller “The Crowded Room.” The series stars Holland as Danny Sullivan, who is arrested in summer 1979 due to his involvement in a shooting at Rockefeller Center. The show is based on the real crimes of Billy Milligan, who was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder.
“It was a tough time, for sure,” Holland told Extra about the show’s production. “We were exploring certain emotions that I have definitely never experienced before. And then on top of that, being a producer, dealing with the day-to-day problems that come with any film set, just added that extra level of pressure.”
“I was seeing myself in [the character], but in my personal life,” Holland said. “I remember having a bit of a meltdown at home and thinking, like, ‘I’m going to shave my head. I need to shave my head because I need to get rid of this character.’ And, obviously, we were mid-shooting, so I decided not to… It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”
Holland confirmed to EW that he has since been sober for one year and four months. He credited the Apple TV+ series with shifting his views on his own mental health.
“Learning about mental health and the power of it, and speaking to psychiatrists about Danny and Billy’s struggles, has been something that has been so informative to my own life,” the actor said, noting he is now able to “recognize triggers” like social media “that stress me out.”
Holland stars in “The Crowded Room” opposite Amanda Seyfried, Sasha Lane, Will Chase, Lior Raz, Laila Robins, Christopher Abbott and Henry Eikenberry. The series premieres June 9 on Apple TV+.
Holland said he “loved the learning curve of becoming a producer,” but juggling two roles on one production while playing a character in a severe mental health state pushed him past his breaking point.
“I’m no stranger to hard work,” Holland said. “I’ve lived by the idea that hard work is good work. Then again, the show did break me. There did come a time where I needed a break and disappeared and went to Mexico for a week and had time on a beach and laid low. I’m now taking a year off, and that is a result of how difficult this show was. I am excited to see how it turns out. I feel like our hard work wasn’t in vain.”
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly last month, Holland revealed that working on “The Crowded Room” led to a “bit of a meltdown” in his personal life.