Actor Tom Holland recently revealed that his upcoming Apple TV+ crime thriller, The Crowded Room, profoundly impacted his personal life. Scroll down to know more about this New Show.
Playing the role of Billy Milligan, a man with dissociative identity disorder who was arrested in connection with a shooting at Rockefeller Centre in New York City in 1979 took a toll on Holland’s mental health.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly on May 9, Holland spoke candidly about how the role affected him, saying, “I’m no stranger to the physical aspects of the job doing the whole action-movie thing. But the mental aspect, it really beat me up and it took a long time for me to recover afterward, to sort of get back to reality.”
Tom Holland also revealed that he had a bit of a meltdown at home while filming the show, thinking he needed to shave his head to rid himself of the character’s persona.
The experience of playing Milligan led Holland to re-evaluate his own mental health and the role of alcohol in his life. As a result, he has been sober for the last year and four months. He acknowledged how he now recognizes triggers, such as social media, that cause stress and has learned about mental health through speaking with psychiatrists about the struggles of Danny and Billy.
The Crowded Room, in which Tom Holland also acted as an executive producer, provides “an insight into the power of the human mind” and “the ways in which we can deal with trauma,” according to Holland.
He hopes the show will educate viewers on mental health and the struggles individuals face while instilling more respect and sympathy for those who are going through mental health issues.
The Crowded Room is set to premiere on June 9 on Apple TV+ and will feature a star-studded cast, including Amanda Seyfried, Sasha Lane, Will Chase, Lior Raz, Laila Robins, Christopher Abbott, and Henry Eikenberry.
Holland’s openness about his struggles with mental health and sobriety comes as more public figures speak out about their experiences with alcohol and drug use. Earlier this year, supermodel Bella Hadid celebrated being five months alcohol-free on TikTok during a weekend getaway to Las Vegas.
As discussions around mental health and addiction become more normalized, it’s important to continue to share personal stories like Holland’s to help reduce stigma and promote understanding. Don’t miss to watch Black Knight on Netflix.
