While the actor has become one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men, he admitted that the live format of the NBC institution presents a unique obstacle that he has never felt comfortable tackling.
Tom Holland Says Live Cue Cards Make SNL a Challenge
Speaking on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, Holland revealed that he has been approached about hosting the iconic sketch series on multiple occasions but has never been able to get past one specific fear. “I’m heavily dyslexic, which is one of the reasons why … is why I’ve never done SNL,” he said, explaining that the show’s reliance on cue cards has always been a major concern.
Holland noted that the challenge is not reading itself but reading aloud under pressure. “It’s just that, for me, I can read fine,” he explained. “But when I have to read out loud, it just becomes, a kind of … it’s like a mental block, and I can freeze.” The actor added that the unpredictable nature of a live production only amplifies those concerns, admitting he is “just so petrified at the concept of, like, trying to read something and they change.”
The actor went on to describe script read throughs as the most difficult part of his work routine. “For me, my worst day at work is the read through,” Holland said. To help manage the situation, he prepares extensively beforehand, explaining, “I will really try and highlight everything and learn my lines ahead of time, so that I’m more kind of skimming it than I am reading.”
Although the prospect of hosting SNL remains daunting, Holland made clear that his reluctance has nothing to do with the show itself. “I’ve been really lucky that they’ve asked me a few times to do it,” he said. “I love the show, and I love the idea of having fun and making a fool of yourself in such a fun, creative way.” Even so, he acknowledged that the live format continues to be a hurdle, concluding, “It’s just that thing of the cue cards.”
The comments come as Holland prepares for one of the biggest years of his career. In just over a month, he will appear as Telemachus in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” before returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe weeks later in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” his fourth solo film as Peter Parker.