Spider-Man actor Tom Holland says he will play late actor Fred Astaire in new biopic
LONDON (REUTERS) - British actor Tom Holland said he will portray legendary film star Fred Astaire in an upcoming Sony biopic, who is best remembered for dancing and singing with late actress Ginger Rogers in several musicals, including Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936) and Shall We Dance (1937).
Famed as one of the greatest dancers of all time, Astaire had a seven-decade career in film and on stage in Broadway and the West End. He died in 1987 at 88.
"I am playing Fred Astaire. The script came in a week ago. I haven't read it yet. They haven't given it to me," Holland said.
"Amy Pascal has the script," he said, referring to Spider-Man producer Pascal. "She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath and we had a lovely FaceTime."
Holland, 25, was speaking at a photocall for Spider-Man: No Way Home, which he attended with his co-star Zendaya, also 25, in London on Sunday (Dec 5).
The two are dating. The pair talked of their love for what they called the Spider-Man family.
Zendaya, who plays MJ in the film, said she was happy to have met Holland while working on the movie.
The pair are dating in real life as well as in the latest story on the big screen, which revolves around Spider-Man's true identity being revealed for the first time.
"One of the most special parts of all this is the fact I got to meet Tom Holland. So I am incredibly forever grateful to Spider-Man for that. And he's obviously very talented and a lovely person," Zendaya said.
Holland is on his third Spider-Man film and spoke of the last six years, saying Spider-Man was such a huge part of his life he could not remember a time before playing the role.
The film is already doing well in British box office pre-sales, but Holland said the pandemic meant the pressure for the film to succeed was different this year.
"People might not feel comfortable going to the theatre and that's ok, if that's your prerogative I will support that," he said.
Spider-Man: No Way Home opens in Singapore cinemas on Dec 16.
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