After an outpour of love for Tom Holland’s portrayal as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, the actor was all set to reprise his role as the friendly neighborhood superhero with Spider-Man: Homecoming which was released in 2017.
Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming
While Civil War saw Tom Holland in action for the first time, it was Homecoming that actually showed that Peter Parker was really just a simple high school student. So while the actor had to act out intense fight scenes and flawlessly perform stunts, he had a bigger challenge on his hands. To truly get into the character of an average American high school student, Tom Holland was made to go undercover and attend one of the best schools in the country.
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Tom Holland Goes to School
Tom Holland’s fake student ID
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What happens when you take a student from the UK and put him in a movie where he has to play an American student? Well, he doesn’t know what homecoming is. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland let out the secret that while half of Spider-Man: Homecoming was done filming, Holland had no idea what “homecoming” even was. Considering the term is in the title of the film, we have no idea how Holland didn’t get curious earlier.
He revealed that “across the pond,” as Downey called it, homecoming was actually called “prom” and it was quite different from its American counterpart. While students would often sneak in their alcohol at the event, prom attendees had booze served to them as they were all eighteen.
Host Jimmy Kimmel asked him if he had any idea what American high schools were like. Holland replied stating that it was the most “daunting” part of doing the movie and suggested the Studios enroll him in a real American school for some first-hand experience. While this was his “British sarcasm,” Marvel was all for the idea, and off went Holland to the Bronx School of Science.
Now, The Bronx High School of Science is not just another school in the US, it’s a school that is ranked as one of the top high schools in the country. Students have to go through a competitive exam just to get in. However, luckily for Holland, he didn’t have to do that.
Talking to Kimmel, the Uncharted actor stated that even the teachers weren’t in on the secret and would bring him up to the front of the class. Holland, in a very Holland fashion, let out the secret to a “pretty girl” that he was actually on an undercover mission, preparing for his role as Spider-Man. While this would’ve blown the actor’s cover, it was lucky for him that the girl didn’t believe him.
“As a joke, I suggested to Marvel that I should go to a high school undercover and it was completely a joke and Marvel took it completely seriously. I guess they didn’t get my British sarcasm….Bronx School of Science is a school of genius kids and I am no genius. Even the teachers didn’t know that I was not a real student so they would bring me up to the front of the class and be like, ‘What do you think new kid?’ and I’d be like, ‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.’… I had one funny experience. I was sat down in the back of a classroom next to quite a pretty girl and she was like, ‘So dude what’s your deal, man?’ I was like, ‘Well, do you wanna know my secret? I’m Spider-Man.’ She was like, ‘Dude you’re not Spider-Man, you’re nuts.’”
It looks like Holland had to literally study for his role as Spider-Man! It did work out in his favor as he was quite successful in playing out the high school scenes with 100% authenticity.
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Tom Holland Comes Clean to the Students
Tom Holland poses with the Drama Club
After the gig was over and Holland was ready to face the challenges of acting as an American student, it was time to let the school in on his secret. In a video shared by Inside Edition, students from The Bronx School of Science were interviewed about the whole undercover situation. While one student found him cute and wanted to talk to him during gym class, the other stated that Holland seemed “like just another regular guy. He was really chill and super easygoing.”
The Cherry actor revealed his identity in front of the drama club of the school where everyone freaked out after knowing the real identity of their fellow student. He even posed for a picture with the club wearing their shirt. Holland attended the high school, undercover, for three days.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is available to stream on Disney+.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
