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The Spider-Man: Brand New Day star opens up about how dyslexia has prevented him from accepting one of American television’s most coveted invitations.
Tom Holland may be one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars, but there is one professional challenge he has yet to overcome. Despite being invited several times to host Saturday Night Live, the British actor has revealed that he has always turned down the opportunity for a deeply personal reason: his dyslexia.
Speaking during a recent appearance on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day actor admitted that the format of the iconic American sketch show represents one of his biggest professional fears. While he feels honoured to have received multiple invitations over the years, the idea of constantly relying on cue cards creates a level of anxiety he finds difficult to manage.
“I’m heavily dyslexic, and that’s one of the reasons why I’ve never done Saturday Night Live,” Holland explained. According to the actor, the challenge is not learning scripts or performing characters, but having to read lines aloud that can be altered moments before going live.
Holland revealed that although he reads comfortably in everyday situations, reading in front of other people often triggers what he describes as a mental block. “I can completely freeze,” he admitted, highlighting a struggle that has accompanied much of his career despite his remarkable success on screen.
The actor also shared that one of the most difficult parts of any production is the script read-through process. To manage this, he prepares extensively in advance, highlighting sections and memorising as much dialogue as possible so that he can rely less on reading directly from the page during rehearsals.
Despite his fears, Holland made it clear that he has enormous admiration for Saturday Night Live and everything it represents. He loves the spontaneity of the programme and the freedom it gives performers to experiment with comedy, embrace self-deprecating humour and showcase a different side of their personalities.
The conversation ended on a light-hearted note when Amy Poehler playfully suggested that Holland might be more capable than he thinks. The actress reminded him that throughout the show’s more than five decades on air, many hosts have taken the stage under far more challenging circumstances, joking that he would probably do much better than he imagines.
For now, Holland remains hesitant, but his candid comments have offered fans a rare insight into the challenges that can exist behind even the most successful careers. His honesty also continues to reinforce why so many audiences connect with him: beneath the blockbuster roles and global fame is someone still navigating very human fears.
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