zendaya praises tom
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Zendaya praises Tom Holland’s real-life dedication to Spider-Man

Zendaya has opened up about what she admires most in Tom Holland’s take on Spider-Man, pointing to how he handles the role once the cameras stop rolling.

Speaking alongside Holland in a joint sit-down with Rotten Tomatoes, the actress, who plays his on-screen love interest MJ, said her favourite part of his portrayal has nothing to do with action scenes or costumes. Instead, she pointed to how seriously he takes the character in everyday life, especially around fans who see him as more than just an actor.

She explained that countless people, particularly kids, form a deep bond with Peter Parker, and Holland has managed to carry that responsibility with genuine grace. According to Zendaya, he never loses sight of what the role means to young admirers who look up to him.

She went further, telling Holland directly that stepping into the suit comes with real weight because, for those children, he does not just play Spider-Man, he becomes him in their eyes. Zendaya said watching how he embraces that role beyond the screen is something she genuinely admires about her husband.

The comments come shortly after Holland reflected on the pressure of stepping back into Peter Parker’s shoes for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a film that went on to earn a massive $927 million at the global box office.

Talking to Kino TV, Holland admitted that the success of his earlier Spider-Man outings and his run in the Avengers franchise made him fully grasp how much the character meant to audiences worldwide. He revealed that he felt more nervous returning to set this time around than ever before.

Despite those nerves, Holland said the experience turned out to be even more fulfilling, largely because of the pressure he put on himself to get it right. He credited that anxiety with pushing him to deliver a performance that matched the scale of what fans expected from him.

Between Zendaya’s praise and Holland’s own reflections, it is clear the actor’s connection to Spider-Man runs far deeper than just another movie role for him.

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