- [Josh] A lot of firsts
for you in this film. I'm not sure if this is a first
or not, but congratulations on, maybe, the debut of Tom
Holland's mustache in a film. Big stuff. Important stuff. - It's not my mustache.
It's not my mustache. - That was my question. Is it not? Is it a fake? - I'm so honored that you think that I could grow a mustache like that. I reckon, if I don't shave now until we speak on 'Spider-Man 27,' it would still not be there. - Got it. - I'm not sure it's my look. I'm not sure it's my kind of vibe. - No shade, it's all good.
[Laughs] - The mustache was a late idea. We had a Halloween party and my team and I all went
as the Average Joes. And Rachel, my makeup artist, just drew on a little mustache on herself with mascara. And Joe [Russo] was like, [finger snap] "Tom has to have a mustache "when he leaves the prison. undefined And Rachel was like, undefined [Laughs] It looks great, I really like it. - Congratulations, Tom, on 'Cherry.' - Thank you. - This is a challenging
role, to say the least, and you really hit it
out of the park, man. You should feel very proud. - Thank you, I appreciate that. - I mean, it struck me, watching this. You're a young man, with all due respect. I can say that 'cause I'm an elderly man. As a 24-year-old, I don't talk to a lot of
actors in your situation that chase roles like this. You can go the easy way out. You're a movie star, you have 'Spider-Man' under your belt. - Right. - Was there a point after 'Spider-Man' where you kind of decided, "This is the kind of
career I want to pursue," and how does 'Cherry,' kind of, fit into that plan, if it does? - I think I always knew that I wanted to end up making films like this. I'm in a very lucky
situation at the moment where I can kind of juggle doing both. You know, I've got 'Spider-Man,' I've just finished a film called 'Uncharted' with Mark Wahlberg, which is very much a sort of
swashbuckling action film. And then, obviously, I've got films like 'Cherry' and 'Devil All the Time.' So, for me, I love trying to do both. I love looking for films
that will challenge me, for characters that are big departures from myself as a person, also big departures from
characters I've played in the past. So, I don't know if it was necessarily a decision to be like, "Right, now is the time to start looking undefined It just sort of happened
to pan out that way. - It's amazing to think, I mean, obviously, when you met the Russos for the 'Spider-Man' audition, that was a big deal in and of itself. But, the thing that's like - - Yes. - The rewards it has given you, in many different ways, of meeting Downey and having
him as kind of a mentor, and having the Russos see in you, not only Spider-Man, but a role like this. Do you remember meeting them and instantly clicking with them? Was there, like, a simpatico understanding between you and the Russos, or were you just sort of
in your own head that day? - I remember meeting them
like it was yesterday. It was in their office, it was before my audition with Downey and basically all of the kids that were auditioning for Spidey had a sort of 25, 30-minute
intro with Joe and Anth. And basically, we would
go through the scene, they would give us some
notes prior to the audition, so we could have a
little bit of an insight into what the audition
was going to be like. And I just remember thinking
that they were so nice. I remember just thinking that, undefined And I felt so comfortable in there when I felt so uncomfortable going in. You know, as a young kid,
you look at these big, big blockbuster movies and you think, "Wow, the people that make these films "must be really serious. "They must be really,
really hard to work with "because they make big,
big-budget movies." And that isn't the case
at all with the Russos. They're so sweet and welcoming and kind. So, I immediately felt at
ease and it's interesting, I actually watched my
audition tape the other day and it seems like a lifetime
ago that I was doing that, but I owe everything to them. And I think a large portion of the reason why I worked
so hard on this film, is that I kind of felt in debt to them. And they were really
passionate about this film. You know, they're both
boys from Cleveland. This is a story that has,
you know, directly affected them. They've got family and
loved ones that are going through a very similar experience. So, because I have this sense of debt, I felt like I really needed
to do justice to them. And I think that's
probably one of the reasons why I worked so hard. - I'm curious, like, whether
it's specifically a performance that influences this role
or, just generally speaking, like, high-watermark
performances to aspire to. I mean, I think comparably, and some thematic comparisons exist, too, like Tom Cruise in 'Born
on the 4th of July.' At that stage of his career, he didn't need to do that kind of thing. But again, he was
working with Oliver Stone and he went for it in a big way and went on a big journey. Do you have those kinds of,
like, roles, those performances that stand on Mount Olympus for you as, like, the thing to aspire to when you take on a
character like 'Cherry?' - Yeah, a role I really admire, and one that I would love to try and find my own version of it, is Edward Norton in 'Primal Fear.' I love that kind of opportunity to almost play two different characters within the same film. I'm very lucky at the moment that I get to do that with 'Spider-Man.' You know, Spider-Man and Peter Parker are two very, very different people, but I'd love to do that in
a more serious environment. Everyone keeps asking me, "Were these calculated decisions? "Are you planning for the future undefined And if I'm honest, I'm just
sort of rolling with it. - Yeah, you're riding the wave. - I'm on a wave and I'm loving it and the sun is shining, and I'll keep going until I fall off. And when I fall off, which
I'm sure I will at some point, you won't want to interview me anymore. I'll swim right way
back and I'll jump back on the next wave and I'll be fine. - I mean, you alluded to
all the challenges of this. This is not one challenge, this is, like, six challenges at least, 'cause there are distinct
chapters in this film. This guy goes through every permutation of challenge in his life. You must have known some
of the challenges going in. Were there any surprises along the way? In terms of like, "Oh, I didn't even think undefined - I always knew it was going to be tough, physically and mentally. And, you know, I'm no stranger
to physical challenges. Playing Spider-Man is arguably the most physical role you
could get as a young actor. So, I felt pretty prepared in that sense. The thing that I wasn't ready for was the emotional onslaught
that was playing this character. Day in and day out, crying and screaming and punching the walls and being exhausted and pushing myself to
this horrible place, so. Some of the places we had to
go emotionally were so awful. I think one of the biggest
and most valuable assets I had while making this film was the wonderful Ciara Bravo. She was so brave and game to try anything, and we were really like a team. We were partners in crime and she was there to
pick up my broken pieces when I fell apart, and
I was there for her. And to have that safety
blanket in your co-star was so, so, so helpful. And I think it would have been a very, very different experience for me had I not had such a wonderful partner. - You mentioned in a recent conversation two mentors for you. Downey is a no-brainer, of course. You also mentioned Zendaya, which I understand, but I also worry, you know, this is going
to go to her head now. She's going to just remind
you every second on set, going forward, "Hey, mentor over here!" Has she started to mention
that to you or not? - No, I mean, she's got a
good head on her shoulders and she's very sensible and humble. And I think she recognizes how much she's helped me over the years. I mean, becoming famous is
a very, very strange thing for someone to have to go through. Especially at a young age, it can be very corrupting. It's very stressful. All of a sudden the entire world has an opinion on your life. So, having someone like her in my corner, who is the same age as me, who'd been through it before at a much, much higher level
was really, really helpful because the moments where
I would panic and go, "I don't know if I want
to do this anymore. "I don't think this is
what I want in life." She was always there to
kind of help me through those times of trouble, I guess. - I just didn't know if you
were trying to butter her up, just for a guest spot on
'Euphoria' or something. - I keep saying that to her, I was like, "When are you going to let
me be in 'Euphoria,' man?" "Like, I wanna - Jacob
and I want to be in there. undefined - She's been very kind about 'Cherry.' Have you seen 'Malcolm & Marie?' - I thought it was brilliant. I mean, I never had any doubt in my mind that she couldn't do or be
capable of a role like that, or a performance like that. She's absolutely fantastic in it. John David Washington's brilliant. The writing is amazing, but I just - I was so proud of her.
And you can tell that it was a real
passion project for her. And she was really, really proud of it when she showed it to us. And it was just really nice
to see that side of her and, you know, the same way I'm sure she is with me. I was just incredibly proud. - Normally, this is the
part of the conversation where I would dig for secrets about your Marvel movie. I'm not going to do that
because in your case you'd actually start acting
out the entire movie. - Right. [Laughs]
- And as much as I want to know, I don't want to know the movie now. - No, you don't. Trust
me, you really don't. - But, I do have one question. You put on Instagram
recently that you had a day that you considered one of
the highlights of your career. Will we know it when we
see it onscreen that day or was that a very personal thing? Or can you allude to what that was without spoiling anything for me? - You'll know it. When you see the film, you'll know it. - OK. - I can't talk about it. I want to, I really want
to, Josh, believe me. - No, don't.
I don't want you to. I do, but I don't. Don't worry. - Yeah. I saw some of it
cut together the other day and it's pretty cool. It's really pretty cool. - You are in the danger zone
for the next nine or 10 months. You basically have to shut up, or else you'll ruin – - I know. I'm going to
delete my Instagram. I'm going to stop accepting phone calls. I'm not doing any more interviews. Leave me alone, everyone. I can't.
'Cause I will ruin the film. - Well, 'cause I spoke to
Anthony Mackie recently and he was like, "Oh yeah, Feige
gave me the the next phase, undefined And I'm wondering, in your case, do they just not do that at this point? Do they just give you
what you need to know, or do you know way too
much than you should? - I have a rough understanding of what the future of the MCU is. I don't really know? I don't really know. I don't really know.
[Laughs] - OK. - The big thing that
I've realized this year, and I'm really trying to just, like, live in the moment and live day
to day, enjoy what I'm doing. The sun is shining. Tomorrow I get to go to set with some of my best mates and make a film I'm already
incredibly proud of. So, I'm not trying to think about undefined or "the future of my career," and all that sort of stuff. I'm just taking it one day at a time and trying to enjoy myself. - Have you noticed if the
experience of 'Cherry' has colored your experiences on sets, since 'Uncharted' and now in 'Spider-Man.' I mean, these are much
different kinds of movies. But, this kind of role,
this kind of performance is a life-changing
experience, I would think. How does it change you as an actor? - It's given me a lot more confidence in myself as an actor. You know, you spend your entire career being incredibly vain. It's kind of what the
nature of being an actor. You're always looking at
yourself onscreen and you go, "Oh, I wish I'd gone to the gym more. undefined and all that sort of stuff. And 'Cherry' was the complete opposite. 'Cherry,' for me, was about
letting go of that vanity and allowing myself to
look hideous at times and to be something that I'm not, and really, really push myself. And to lose that vanity
was incredibly freeing. So, I now have a very,
very different relationship with the way that I tackle making films because it isn't about how I look, it's just about how I behave. And that means that I can do way, way more than I used to be able to. - Well, congratulations, my friend. I was excited for all the opportunities that were coming your way in the wake of 'Spider-Man,' but seeing you in 'Cherry' just - You can do anything, man. So, congratulations. - Thanks, Josh. - Enjoy the moment and enjoy the rest of your shoot. And don't tell me any
more secrets. I'm good. - Thank you, mate. I remember our first interview! I remember it. - Did it change your life? Is that what inspired 'Cherry?' - Yeah, that's what made
me want to make 'Cherry,' was the first time I met you, Josh. [Laughs]
- God, I don't know what that says.
