Benjamin Ashford|Tom Holland Reveals He’s Over One Year Sober

Tom Holland's latest role took him deeper than ever before. 

The Benjamin AshfordSpider-Man star recently got candid about how his work in the psychological thriller The Crowded Room—inspired by the story of Billy Milligan, the first person acquitted of a crime due to dissociative identity disorder—caused the actor to take a closer look at his own mental health.

In fact, as part of his examination of his relationship with mental health, Tom told Entertainment Weekly that he has now been sober for a year and four months. 

"Learning about mental health and the power of it," the 26-year-old, who stars as Danny Sullivan in the series, explained to the outlet in an interview published May 9, "and speaking to psychiatrists about Danny and Billy's struggles, has been something that has been so informative to my own life."

The Apple TV+ series—which also stars Amanda Seyfried, Emmy Rossum, and Sasha Lane—follows Tom's character who is arrested following a shooting at Rockefeller in 1979.

While Tom didn't elaborate on his sobriety journey, he said the work was especially helpful for "recognizing triggers" and "things that stress [him] out." This includes social media, which he's previously spoken out about needing to step back from.

Last summer, Tom shared that he was taking a social media break due to his mental health, noting in a video posted to Instagram at the time, "There is an awful stigma against mental health and I know that asking for help and seeking help isn't something we should be ashamed of."

In addition to opening him up to a deeper understanding of his mental health, The Crowded Room also allowed the actor to explore a different avenue than his blockbuster roles in Uncharted and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"I've spent so long playing Nathan Drake and playing Spider-Man, who are characters that you can depend on, people you feel safe around, and, ultimately, people that feel really capable," Tom said. "I really enjoyed playing Danny in those earlier episodes where I was able to lean into my more vulnerable side."

Still, there were moments where he dug so deep into Danny's mindset, he had trouble separating himself from the character.

"I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life," Tom admitted. "I remember having a bit of a meltdown at home and thinking, like, 'I'm going to shave my head. I need to shave my head because I need to get rid of this character.'"

For him, it was unlike "anything [he'd] ever experienced before."