Tom Holland says he’s on a break from acting after ‘difficult’ experience filming ‘The Crowded Room’

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — Tom Holland learned about the value of prioritizing his mental health after producing and starring in his upcoming AppleTV+ miniseries “The Crowded Room.”

That’s part of what has led to the “Spider-Man” star taking a break from acting to simply be a “regular bloke from Kingston and just relax,” he told Extra in an interview published on Tuesday.

With heavy subject matter related to mental health, making “The Crowded Room” was “a tough time,” Holland said, because he was “exploring certain emotions that I have definitely never experienced before.”

Inspired by Daniel Keyes’ 1981 novel “The Minds of Billy Milligan,” the miniseries follows a young man’s arrest for a shocking crime and the “unlikely investigator” who solves the mystery behind it, according to a synopsis.

And while Holland said he “really enjoyed” making the series, he added that ultimately “the show did break me.”

“There did come a time where I was like, I need to have a break. I disappeared, I went to Mexico for a week and had some time on a beach and laid low, and I’m now taking a year off and that is a result of how difficult this show was,” he said.

Thanks to his friends, family, castmates and an on-set psychologist, Holland said that he felt supported throughout the entire process. He even said the experience changed him for the better, and that he feels like he’s “grown up” a lot.

Holland also told EW in May that his experience on set led to his decision to take a break from drinking.

On his break from acting, Holland told Extra this week that he’s been spending his time traveling, seeing family and friends and playing golf. He’s even invested time into “buying plants and doing my best to keep them alive.”

“The Crowded Room” will be available to stream on AppleTV+ on June 9.

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