Tom Holland revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that filming his upcoming Apple TV+ crime thriller “The Crowded Room” led to a “bit of a meltdown” in his personal life. The Spider-Man actor stars in the show 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.
“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 described “The Crowded Room” as “an insight into the power of the human mind” and “the ways in which we can deal with trauma.”
In his EW interview, Holland revealed he has 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.”
“[I hope ‘Crowded Room’ viewers] have more respect and more sympathy for people who are going through mental health issues,” Holland added. “I hope that people will feel educated about the powers of mental health, the struggles, [and] our incredible abilities to survive.”
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 on June 9 on Apple TV+.