Tom Holland credits Zendaya with stopping him being a "d***".
Tom Holland covers GQ
The 24-year-old actor has praised his 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' co-star for guiding him through life in the spotlight, in particular showing him the best ways to interact with fans that would leave a good impression and make him feel more at ease with being in the public eye.
He told the new issue of GQ magazine: “Talking to Zendaya’s helped me a lot, actually.
"I used to come across sometimes as a bit of a dick to fans, mainly as I was always so surprised that they’d want a picture with me or signature or whatever.
"I’d have the typical Londoner reaction, one of instant suspicion, ‘Why are you talking to me?’ Zendaya spotted this and quickly told me that this sort of reaction was going to be more aggro than just smiling and taking the picture. She totally changed the way I am able to be more comfortable in public.”
Tom has also received a lot of guidance and support from fellow Avenger Robert Downey Jr. but the 55-year-old star insisted he looks on the younger actor as being a "brother" to him, rather than filling the role of "weird, rich uncle" for his friend.
Downey said: "“I am protective of Tom, sure. But I protect his right to be his own man.
"We have a very, very difficult to explain affinity for each other.
" I won’t, for example, if asked, extemporise about how incredible he is in the movie. This is because my endorsement is automatic. Did I expect him to get good notices from his part in 'Cherry'? Yes. Do I need to supercharge these notices? No, I do not.
"We are brothers. He comes to my house in Malibu when he rolls through town.
"I FaceTime him when he’s in the pub. I am not his weird, rich uncle. He is not my protégé. We’re just... folk.”
Meanwhile, Tom has vowed never again to push himself to the limits in the way he did to play an army veteran-turned-heroin addict in 'Cherry'.
He admitted: "This role took me to some of the darkest places I have ever been, emotionally, physically, anythingly...I would never go back there again, not for anyone. I am pleased I did it, but that door is now closed and locked...
“I lost around 27lbs by running in a bin bag every day. It was awful. Truly.
"It was only about ten weeks out of shooting that I realised what I was getting into and what I need to do to transform into the role. So I sat down with my trainer, George Ashwell, and he told me, ‘Right, you need to eat only 500 calories a day and run ten miles. Go.’ Great.
"It was brutal. And then bulking up, going from a drug addict to shooting scenes as a marine? I got very sick, actually. And it’s changed my relationship with food completely.
"I think I would find it very difficult to find a role that would warrant that sort of abuse on my body again.”
See the full feature in the April issue of British GQ available via digital download and on newsstands on 4 March and visit https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/tom-holland-cherry-interview
Tagged in Tom Holland Zendaya