Tom Holland pegs “electric” Janet Jackson as unexpected career inspiration
Tom Holland has credited Janet Jackson as one of the key influences and inspirations across his career, deeming the performer “electric”.
On Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, the upcoming The Odyssey star revealed a surprising inspiration and influence on his career: Janet Jackson.
When Poehler suggested that the pair talk about Jackson for a second, Holland sprang forward in his seat, gushing, “I love Janet Jackson so, so much!”
Finishing Poehler’s sentence, Holland went on to describe the performer as “electric.”
He went on earnestly, “To be perfectly honest with you, if you ask me to list five people who have been integral in the success of my career, she would be one of them.”
Though the British star has never met the icon, he tracked back his entry into the industry to his love of her work.
Holland’s appreciation of her “natural rhythm” is what inspired his parents to put him in dance classes, and subsequently led to the rest of his career.
Jackson’s influence on the British star was most obvious in his viral 2017 Lip Sync Battle appearance alongside Zendaya, which saw him performing Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’.
Laughing with Poehler, he revealed, “I get more compliments for that dance than any piece of work I have ever done.”
Despite his love of dance, Holland is known today for his blockbuster performances. The 30-year-old has a busy summer ahead in 2026, with him starring as Telemachus, the son of Matt Damon’s Odysseus in the upcoming Christopher Nolan epic The Odyssey, which is set for a July 17th release.
Holland will then turn back to his Marvel roots in his seventh turn as Spider-Man in the forthcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. which hits cinemas on July 31st.
As for Jackson, the singer-songwriter is currently undertaking her acclaimed worldwide tour, performing across arenas in Japan before a one-night-only performance at the HeritageLive Festival at the historic Royal Sandringham Estate later this summer.
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