Tom Holland takes on a role far from our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man in the new trailer for his upcoming AppleTV+ series, The Crowded Room.
The Marvel star portrays Danny Sullivan in the psychological thriller, which is inspired by a true story and based on the 1981 novel, The Minds of Billy Milligan.
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With Mamma Mia star Amanda Seyfried in character as an investigator, the 10-episode series follows Danny after he is arrested following a shooting at Rockefeller Center in 1979.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Holland promised the show will take us on 'twists and turns' as he described it as an 'insight into the power of the human mind' and 'the ways in which we can deal with trauma'.
Showrunner Akiva Goldsman has revealed Holland was 'the first and only person' he spoke with regarding the role of Danny, and while filming the series Holland actually found that his connection with the character extended beyond the TV show's set.
"I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life," Holland recalled.
"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."
Though it was clearly an intense role, Goldsman has praised Holland for taking the character 'to heart'.
"We shot 130 days in a row. In New York. During COVID," the showrunner said.
"And Tom held the center of it in a way that makes the piece work because he's so compassionate and compelling and his conviction in the role is extraordinary. I'm excited for him, because I don't think people have seen him this way."
Holland has also credited his co-stars with helping to keep him on track while shooting, including Sasha Lane, who plays Danny's friend and roommate Ariana.
"She was so helpful for me, because there were moments on set where I really was struggling to understand Danny's reasoning or Danny's actions," he said. "She would take me aside and was really open and willing to share some of her experiences that were so helpful in the moment."
When it arrives on AppleTV+, Holland is hopeful that the series will encourage viewers to have 'more respect and more sympathy for people who are going through mental health issues'.
"I hope that people will feel educated about the powers of mental health, the struggles, [and] our incredible abilities to survive," he added.
Topics: TV and Film, Tom Holland
Emily Brown