Tom Holland "excited" to "dust off off the old tap shoes" to play Fred Astaire

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Tom Holland is "excited" about his role as Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic about the film legend, but he admits he'll have to brush up on his dancing skills.

“I’m going to dust off the old tap shoes and go back to Pineapple Dance Studios [in London] and start taking tap lessons,” the Spider-Man: Far From Home star told Variety while promoting the film with his co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon.

“I’m quite a good tap dancer,” Holland added. “It’s something I’ve done for a very, very long time so it’s something I’m sure I’ll be able to pick up.”

The 25-year-old actor first showcased his dancing skills when he played the titular role in the West End production of Billy Elliott the Musical from 2008-2010, but mastering Astaire's style will be a challenge.

“Fred Astaire does have a very particular style,” Holland explains. "Billy Elliot" was very much a kind of like scuffy boot kind of tap dancer, whereas [Astaire] is very elegant and graceful so I’ll probably have to learn how to do that. But it’s something I’m gonna practice, something I’m very excited for and I think it will be a fantastic film.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home will open in theaters December 17.

Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 8:35AM by George Costantino Permalink