Tom Holland Says Disastrous Star Wars Audition Cost Him Spot In The Latest Trilogy

The Spider-Man star had previously been in the running to play Finn in The Force Awakens.

Tom Holland has revealed he came close to landing a part in the latest Star Wars trilogy, but lost out on the role when his audition took a downward turn.

The British actor – best known for his lead performance in the Spider-Man series – had been in the running to play Finn in The Force Awakens, a part that eventually went to fellow UK star John Boyega.

“I remember my audition for Star Wars, I was like four or five auditions in, and I think I was auditioning for John Boyega’s role,” he told Backstage.

“I remember doing this scene with this lady, bless her, and she was [playing] a drone. So I was doing all of this, like, ‘We gotta get back to the ship!’ And she was going, ‘Bleep, bloop bloop, bleep bloop’.”

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VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

Unfortunately, the scene was just as ridiculous as it sounded, and an ill-timed case of the giggles cost Tom his part in the Star Wars franchise.

He added: “I just couldn’t stop laughing. I found it so funny. And I felt really bad, because she was trying really hard to be a convincing android or drone or whatever they’re called.

“Yeah, I obviously didn’t get the part. That wasn’t my best moment.”

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Daisy Ridley and John Boyega at the Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker premiere in 2019
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images

Things definitely worked out for the best, with Star Wars launching John Boyega to international fame, and Tom eventually finding the right film series for him when he began playing Spidey in 2016.

He’s currently gearing up for the release of his new Apple TV+ film Cherry, with the star revealing he’s been getting a little too comfortable while doing promotional interviews from home.