ENTERTAINMENTTom Holland Admits He Feels 'Absolute Dread' Ahead of Playing Fred Astaire in Upcoming Biopic
Tom Holland revealed on 'Good Morning America' that he almost felt absolute dread while preparing to portray Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic.
July 23 2026, Published 10:59 a.m. ET
Tom Holland is already preparing for one of the biggest challenges of his career.
"I did my first few rehearsals recently, and it both filled me with excitement and absolute dread because I've got so much work to do to try and do Fred proud," Holland said while discussing his upcoming Fred Astaire biopic on Good Morning America.
Tom Holland Is Back in the Dance Studio for Fred Astaire Biopic
Tom Holland began dance rehearsals for the upcoming Fred Astaire biopic.
While speaking about the next phase of his career, Holland explained that he was eager to take on another demanding role after spending years playing Peter Parker.
"I now feel like I'm starting this chapter where I can't quite get away with being a teenager anymore," he said.
Holland added, "For me, what I love about my job is the challenges."
The 30-year-old revealed he would focus on dance training after finishing promotion for his current projects.
He continued, "We have Fred Astaire next, which is what we're planning on doing. And as soon as I finish with these tours, I'm diving back into the dance studio."
Tom Holland discussed his goal of performing all of Fred Astaire's dance sequences without using doubles.
The actor also shared the ambitious goal he had set for himself before filming began.
"I have a desire to use no doubles, to do all of the dancing, to shoot those dances in one shot – how he would have done it," Holland said, referring to Astaire's signature style of filming elaborate dance routines.
The upcoming movie will be directed by Paul King and written by Steven Levenson.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The Film Was Announced Nearly Five Years Ago
Tom Holland recalled receiving the news that he would play Fred Astaire during a FaceTime call from producer Amy Pascal.
Holland first confirmed in 2021 that he would play the legendary entertainer after producer Amy Pascal shared the news with him.
"She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath," Holland recalled with a laugh.
At the time, he joked about how the conversation went with his producer, saying, "And we had a lovely FaceTime, but I will be playing Fred Astaire."
"The script came in a week ago," Holland also told the Associated Press. "I haven't read it yet; they haven't given it to me."
Tom Holland and Zendaya Continue Their Busy Schedule
Tom Holland's update came while he promoted 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' ahead of its July 31 theatrical release.
Holland's latest update came as he and Zendaya continued promoting Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 31. The film marks the couple's fourth Spider-Man movie together after first meeting on the set of 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Zendaya recently reflected on returning to the franchise, saying working alongside Holland remained one of her favorite parts of the experience.
"Spider-Man was a dream; I get to go to work every day with my best friend, the person that I love," she told Elle. "We bring our dogs to work; it's like a family affair."
"We grew up on those movies! It's like coming home," she concluded.
