One of the many amazing friendships created in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the one between Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Holland. These two actors have undeniably great chemistry on screen, but their bond apparently transcends the movies. Despite the age difference, they have a lot in common and have nurtured a great friendship and love for each other.They have both posted pictures doing things together such as hiking or going to each other's premieres, and have also shared heartwarming birthday messages. And while RDJ is moving on from the MCU, the two remain close. This is RDJ and Tom Holland's friendship.
6 Robert Downey Jr. And Tom Holland's Fake First Meeting
The first time Tom Holland worked with the great Robert Downey Jr. was in the 2016 movie Captain America: Civil War. Tom was only 19 back then, and while he'd been acting for a while before then, he was still very nervous about having to take on such a big project. Another thing that made him nervous was meeting all the big stars that work with Marvel, particularly RDJ, with whom he would have the most scenes. The first time they met was during one of Tom's auditions for the movie, and he was told Robert would be coming only minutes before he arrived. When he first saw his acting hero he tried to play it cool despite being internally freaking out, but once the initial jitters subsided, he noticed that the actor looked a little different. That was when Robert Downey Jr. walked into the set, and Tom realized he had been talking to his stunt double the entire time. The good thing, according to him, was that he got rid of his nervousness before actually meeting RDJ.
5 RDJ Gave Tom Holland An Important Piece Of Advice
Robert is not only a great friend to Tom. He was also a huge influence and a mentor to him as he started his journey with Marvel. He saw something in him from the first time he watched him perform, and the first time he met him, he gave him a piece of advice that Tom treasures to this day.
"He took me to one side and said, 'I remember the feeling. I’ve been through this before, and it is incredibly stressful. Enjoy the process and let your body take over.' Which is advice that I still use," Tom shared. "I was doing a new Spider-Man scene just the other day and I had to eat a bowl of cereal. And I just couldn’t eat a bowl of cereal like a normal person – I was too in my head. And the director, Jon [Watts], goes, 'What are you doing?' And I was like, 'Sorry, I’m leading with my head and I need to lead with my body.' So it was good advice. And I think that’s the piece of advice that got me the Spider-Man job ultimately."
4 Robert Downey Jr. Knew Tom Holland Was The Perfect Spider-Man
Robert Downey Jr. was heavily involved with the casting of Marvel's Spider-Man, and he's the first to admit he worked all the candidates hard. And while all the actors that auditioned were good, Tom Holland was the one that, in his opinion, could best grasp the weight of the Spider-Man legacy.
"The kid handled it. He was seasoned, good presence. I could tell he had good kung fu; he could roll with the punches and keep it more than interesting," RDJ shared. "Remember, I’d been testing with a bunch of kids that day. They shall remain unnamed, but they all did well and any one of them would have brought something else to the part of Spider-Man. But why Holland? That’s your question, right? Gravitas. Gravitas and the confidence to be able to take on the mantle."
3 The Time Tom Holland Ghosted RDJ
Another hilarious story about these two friends is this. A couple of years ago, Tom shared on Seth Meyers's show that he had once accidentally ghosted Robert. In his defense, Robert had forgotten about the time difference, so when he called Tom, it was 2 am in London. Tom said he didn't even check who was calling, he just turned off his phone because he wanted to sleep.
However, the next day he saw that he had a missed call from The Godfather (how he referred to Robert) and he freaked out. He messaged him and apologized, but again, due to the time difference, it wasn't until much later that RDJ replied. Tom said it was probably the most stressful day of his life.
2 Robert Downey Jr. Face-Timed Tom Holland In The Middle Of An Interview
When Tom Holland was promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming, in the middle of an interview in Berlin, he got a surprise call from his hero and co-star. Tom said that it was the first time he'd FaceTimed him, and he picked up, much to the delight of the interviewer. Robert was actually calling to congratulate him on the movie, so Tom thanked him and let him know that he was doing press, but rather than deter the actor, that encouraged him to keep talking, and he even asked to speak to the interviewer and ask her if Tom was doing a good job.
1 Tom Holland Got His Payback
After Robert pulled the FaceTime stunt, Tom bided his time and eventually found the perfect revenge. When RDJ was doing an interview for the first Spider-Man movie, Tom innocently walked into the room and exclaimed "Oh, you're in the middle of an interview!" Instead of walking out, he added "I'll pull up a chair," and joined Robert, who only pretended to be annoyed for a second before putting his arm around Tom and praising him for his great work.