Tom Holland

[kport]

However, an interviewer asked Benedict Cumberbatch at the movie premiere about working with Tom Holland and what it was like to first meet him. Cumberbatch shared that Tom is a “phenomenon”:

“Tom is a phenomenon you know and to get to know him as a friend and then watch him as an artist. He’s so comfortable with all this. He wears it so well and so professionally. It’s a beautiful thing to be honest.”

Cumberbatch also said that he looked Holland up when he first met him and was quite impressed with his acting skills in ‘Billy Elliot’. But most importantly, Benedict Cumberbatch loves the fact that Tom Holland is “really good human being”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... nel=Access

[kport]

This popped up, prophetically. An interview with Tom and his father, Dominic, back in 2008:

The role of Billy, sadly, won’t last forever and I ask Tom whether he would like to carry on performing. ‘All the coaches say it’s downhill after Billy – as there isn’t a bigger part. But yes, I’d love to. It’s really cool.’ Somehow I don’t think this will be the end for Tom Holland. A kid who, thanks to his family, is managing to keep both firmly feet on the ground even while he’s dancing in the air.

https://www.timeandleisure.co.uk/local- ... ly-elliot/

[CJ-Rochester]

Here's a nice article about Tom in The Guardian.

From Billy Elliot to Spider-Man: how Tom Holland won the world’s heart
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/j ... spider-man

[porschesrule]

According to Broadway World, some further announcements have been made regarding the film about Fred Astaire that Tom Holland is set to star in.
Paul King, of the animated live-action film series Paddington has been signed to direct the Astaire film. And in another connection to Bily Elliot The Musical, Lee Hall will write the film.
More here:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/T ... g-20230213

[CJ-Rochester]

It appears there are two separate Fred Astaire bio films in the works, both starring former Billys. It's odd that articles on both were released the same day.

Jamie Bell:
https://deadline.com/2023/02/jamie-bell ... 235257633/

Tom Holland:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235323540/

[tzwicky]

You mean .... we now have .... Battlin' Billys?

tzwicky

[CJ-Rochester]

You mean .... we now have .... Battlin' Billys?

tzwicky

Indeed! Now Playbill has caught wind of the story.

There Are Now 2 Upcoming Fred Astaire Biopics, and Both Are Set to Star Former Billy Elliots
https://www.playbill.com/article/there- ... ly-elliots

[tzwicky]

Troubled by one line in the Playbill story:

"But the Billy Elliot connections don't stop there; both Bell and Holland are themselves former Billy Elliots. Bell created the role for the original film, while Holland played the role on stage in London's West End as a replacement."

So is this guy just writing this based on the fact that Tom worked up to Billy? Because of Union rules, was he forever listed as a "replacement?"

Seems all kinds of wrong. And even if he worked up to it (and I am old so I can't recall these things and my cell network has been clobbered and I am cut off from the world of T-Mobile I feel isolated) how long was Tom a Billy. Seems like a goodly long time. I am sure I saw his Billy about 30+ times.

Replacement. Piffle.

tzwicky

[porschesrule]

the Billy Elliot connections don't stop there; both Bell and Holland are themselves former Billy Elliots. Bell created the role for the original film, while Holland played the role on stage in London's West End as a replacement."

When I read that line, I took it to mean that he didn't originate the role and that after the three original Billys (James, George and Liam) everyone that followed was a "replacement". Is this not a common theatre term that is used to describe an actor who takes over the role from another who has originated it in a show?
I refer readers to an article written about BETM back in 2010. While it refers to the Broadway production, it can relate to any of the long term BETM productions around the world (especially London) where a new actor "replaced" an original one:

https://playbill.com/article/understand ... com-169316

[ERinVA]

That's how I understand the term in the context of theatrical productions.