Tom Holland has confessed that when publicists have asked him why audiences should see certain films he has made, his honest internal answer was: "You shouldn't, because it's shit."

Holland made the remark on the July 22, 2026 episode of Dish Podcast, hosted by broadcaster Nick Grimshaw and chef Angela Hartnett, according to Variety. The full episode is available on YouTube.

The admission is the kind of candour that press circuits rarely produce. Actors are contractually nudged, and often legally obligated, to champion the films they promote — a routine known as the press tour, where cast members cycle through interviews, podcasts, and red carpets to drive opening-weekend awareness. Holland, though, drew a sharp line between those obligations and the work he is currently publicising.

He told Grimshaw and Hartnett that doing press for The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day felt like "a victory lap" and that he is "super proud of both of the films," per Variety. Both films are set for release in summer 2026, with Holland starring in each.

The contrast was the point. Holland was not dismissing his entire filmography — he was distinguishing the projects he believes in from the ones where the promotional smile is a performance of its own. He did not name the films he had in mind.

Holland also credited his Odyssey co-star Anne Hathaway with teaching him how to handle the press treadmill. He called her "such a pro," according to Variety. Hathaway is a veteran of blockbuster and awards-season campaigns alike, with two decades of high-profile press tours behind her.

Dish Podcast — produced in association with the UK supermarket chain Waitrose & Partners and also known as The Dish from Waitrose — pairs food and conversation, with Hartnett cooking for each guest. Past guests include Simon Pegg, Jodie Whittaker, Jon Favreau, and Paapa Essiedu, according to the show's Apple Podcasts listing. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

For Holland, the timing is fortuitous. With two major summer releases on the horizon, his enthusiasm is doing the job that studio publicists spend months engineering: convincing audiences that a ticket is worth buying. The difference is that, this time, the actor sounds like he means it — and he was willing to say, on the record, when he hasn't.