Tom Holland Says 2017 Dance Outshines Spider-Man Fame

Tom Holland asserts that his 2017 dance performance on Lip Sync Battle has earned him more recognition than his roles in the Spider-Man franchise. Currently, he is promoting the upcoming Christopher Nolan film Odyssey, where he plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus.

Tom Holland believes fans recognize him more from his 2017 Umbrella dance

On June 2, during an appearance on Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang, Holland discussed his Lip Sync Battle performance. Poehler commented, “I’ve watched it five thousand times. I’ve probably watched it more than most movies.” Holland responded, “I get more compliments for that dance than any piece of work I have ever done.”

In the Lip Sync Battle, Holland competed against Zendaya, his co-star and partner. While Zendaya performed Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic, Holland surprised the audience by beginning with Singin’ in the Rain in a grey suit. He then removed the suit to reveal a black vest, matching shorts, a short dark wig, fishnet tights, and red lipstick as the song shifted to Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” Under artificial rain, he executed a choreographed dance routine to the track.

Poehler attributed the performance’s popularity to Holland’s comfort with his feminine side. She remarked, “You’ve talked about it, being a young boy doing ballet, being a person who’s had to figure out what is typically male, what is typically female.”

Holland shared that during dress rehearsals, Poehler suggested shortening his shorts further, but he declined, saying, “I was like, ‘No. I’m doing enough. This is still years ahead of its time.’” The performance remains widely admired today.