Tom Holland says the greatest perk of being an actor is being the one person who can stand in the middle of a film set doing nothing while the crew resets. That vantage point lets you watch directors, actors, and crew at work in a way no one else can — and he learns more that way than from any direct advice.
Where this was said
At 34:10 · chapter starts 29:30
Amy digs into what it was actually like to be a teenager doing eight shows a week on the West End. Tom's answer is surprisingly nuanced: there were four Billys sharing the role, rotating nights and acting as standbys for each other. He recalls one evening when he was playing golf with his dad, got an emergency call, arrived at the theater to cover, and wound up having to go on when the replacement Billy also injured himself. An audience member famously wrote in to suggest the theater just use one kid to avoid confusion. But Tom doesn't call Billy Elliot the hardest job he's ever done — that title goes to The Odyssey. Amy and Tom also discuss the oddity of always preparing for the hardest part of your day to come at the end of it.
Four kids shared the Billy Elliot role simultaneously, rotating performances and standing by in case of injury.
Robby Hoffman isn't fearless — she's terrified all the time. The difference is she does it anyway, because not doing it feels worse than the fear itself.
John Mulaney texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere saying he'd been a fan for a while and wanted to make a Netflix special with her. Robby called it 'shocking, horrifying, anxiety-inducing, surreal and thrilling' — and said yes.
Mulaney is buttoned-up, suit-wearing, classy. Robby is gritty, raw, and undefined. Together they made the collab nobody expected. Batman and Robin. Eminem and Dido.
Music had Pope Gregory forcing notation. Comedy has had 'magical thinking' — he's just got funny bones. But jokes work through discoverable, teachable mechanics. Writing down the rules doesn't kill the magic; it gives more people access to it.
Howard Ashman had one insight nobody else had: animated Disney films should be Broadway musicals. The third song of every great musical is the character sitting alone explaining what they want. That's 'Part of Your World.' That structure — combined with Alan Menken's compositions — generated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, and turned Disney Animation into the most profitable creative engine in entertainment history.
The Lion King musical has been running for 30 years across Broadway, London's West End, and global touring companies. It has grossed over $11 billion in total revenue — more than Avatar, more than Avengers: Endgame, more than any album, more than any video game. It generates an average of $350 million in revenue every single year. Disney owns it outright.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
New York draws thousands of young, talented performers every year chasing Broadway stardom — but the hard truth is that most of them never make it. Zelig Williams was one of the rare exceptions.
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