In The Devil All the Time, Tom Holland stretches his legs into surprising new territory. The actor, best known for playing an especially aw-shucks version of Spider-Man, plays a sheltered Christian on the road to violence in the period Netflix drama, a twisted Southern gothic tale that follows two generations between World War II and the Vietnam War. It’s a dark, tense film, a far cry from the kind of roles Holland usually takes on—which is why he almost didn’t think he could do it. In a Wednesday night panel with his costars, the Marvel actor discussed the work it took to step into this character’s shoes and how much he had to let go of in order to even say yes to the part.
“I had to put a lot of trust in Antonio [Campos, the director] because this is not the type of movie I’ve typically made in the past,” Holland said in the panel, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I was really nervous and scared coming on set for the first time. I didn’t know I had it in me to play this type of character. I was really lucky to have the cast that we have to support me, and to have Antonio as the director and captain of the ship.”
Holland said that the role of Arvin Russell messed with his head, even though his character is technically “the glimmer of light in this film, in the sense that he’s always just trying to do the right thing. It just so happens that in this film, doing the right thing means killing people.”
“I had to go places mentally that I didn’t know I could go to, or don’t think I ever want to go again,” he added. “It was an amazing process, and I’ve seen the film and I’m very proud of it. I’m really eager for people to see and enjoy it.”
The panel featured much of the film’s sprawling, star-studded cast, including Sebastian Stan, Mia Wasikowska, Bill Skarsgård, and more. The only core cast members who weren’t present were Riley Keough and Robert Pattinson, who recently tested positive for COVID-19 while shooting The Batman
In an August interview with Vanity Fair, Campos spoke candidly about working with Holland, who was cast in The Devil All the Time before he became Sony’s next Spider-Man.
“Tom’s process is so methodical and thoughtful and sensitive,” Campos said, noting that the actor worked incredibly hard to nail his character’s Southern accent. “He’s a really kind person.”
It was surreal to watch the Brit go from little-known working actor to full-blown Marvel marquee idol. “It was just exciting,” the director said with a laugh. “I’ve gotten to know the fanbase a little bit.”
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
— Charlie Kaufman’s Confounding I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Explained
— Inside Robin Williams’s Quiet Struggle With Dementia
— This Documentary Will Make You Deactivate Your Social Media
— Jesmyn Ward Writes Through Grief Amid Protests and Pandemic
— What Is It About California and Cults?
— Catherine O’Hara on Moira Rose’s Best Schitt’s Creek Looks
— Review: Disney’s New Mulan Is a Dull Reflection of the Original
— From the Archive: The Women Who Built the Golden Age of Disney
Looking for more? Sign up for our daily Hollywood newsletter and never miss a story.