Four years later, the internet is still talking aboutTom Holland’s legendary turn onLip Sync Battle— and who can blame them?
TheSpider-Man: Far from Homeactor tore up the stage with his rendition of “Singin' in the Rain” that launched seamlessly into an unforgettable performance ofRihanna’s 2007 hit “Umbrella,” complete with ultra-sexy attire and precipitation-powered choreography to match.
While it may be hard to imagine Holland, 24, taking on any other song now, there was a backup in place.
In a new piece forInsiderappropriately titled “An Oral History of Tom Holland’s Sensational Lip Sync Battle Performance,” creatives on the show said thatBritney Spears'“Oops! … I Did It Again"was a backup option, should they not be able to secure the rights to “Umbrella.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Tom Holland (L); Britney Spears.Frazer Harrison/Getty; RCA Records
“We actually created two different sets of costumes for him and all of the dancers. Just in case ‘Umbrella’ didn’t go through, we had a backup performance,” costume designer Jeanie Cheek toldInsider.
Clearly, everything worked out, but it certainly came down to the wire. As theCherryactor told PEOPLE back in 2017, he “didn’t have approval on ‘Umbrella’ until, like, five hours before we did the show,” adding, “There’s the contingency of, ‘If you don’t do this, then you’ll be doing Britney and we’ll teach you a new dance.’ "
Of the “stressful” performance, Holland admitted “it wasmore nerve-wracking thanSpider-Man”— but he “didn’t mind being in drag” one bit, saveoneregret.
“I said, ‘You want me to dance in the rain and do a front flip? I can’t do that in heels,’ " he said. “I wish I had now. Thatwould have shut things down.”
Tom Holland onLip Sync Battle.Paramount Network
RELATED VIDEO: Tom Holland Reveals When He Feels the Sexiest
Not everyone was onboard the “Umbrella” train ahead of Holland’s participation on the show, though. In a recentcover story forBritish GQ’s April issue, theMarvel actor shared that his father Dominic Holland tried to steer him away from it.
And while he has no regrets about the “fun” time he had, Holland explained to the magazine that his father was worried that his suggestive performancecould affect his career path.
“My dad always taught me when I was younger and coming up in the business that you want to get famous as slowly as possible,” he said. “You don’t want to get super famous tomorrow, because you won’t be able to handle it. It will ruin your life.”
The star went on to say that he is “very selective of who I talk to and what I do” as he does not “want to overexpose myself,because my privacy is thelast thing I own.”
“I think that’s why he was so worried,” Holland said of his dad. “And he’d tell me the same thing today I am sure: ‘Pace yourself, you’ve got a long career ahead of you.’ I don’t want to lose myself to all … this.”
source: people.com
