Tom Holland is a famous actor known for playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Recently, while promoting a new LEGO video in which he starred, Holland revealed something about himself that most people didn’t know. This is the fact that he has two disabilities: ADHD and dyslexia, with ADHD being a disability that affects attention span, and dyslexia being a disability impacting one’s ability to read.

According to People Magazine, Tom says that his ADHD makes playing new roles very intimidating. This is because it can be hard to develop a character from scratch due to his disability. As someone who also has ADHD, I can really relate to his challenge. Most of what I draw in my spare time is based on the media I consume, and I find it hard to make original ideas without tying it to something I like first. I can see what Tom means when he has a hard time trying to determine what his new roles will be like, since it’s much harder to think of original ideas with an ADHD brain.

Among this new reveal of his ADHD diagnosis, a surprising coincidence is found in the LEGO promotional video he stars in. The message in the video was “never stop playing”, and People Magazine states that the act of play is used to help people with ADHD in therapy, as children can learn to communicate through play. This can double as an inspiring message for young people with the same disability that Tom has, as they too can learn to use play to help express many things.

As for how dyslexia affects Tom, he has previously stated that he has issues with spelling as a result of his disability. I was shocked: I thought it could also impact his ability to read scripts, but I’m glad it doesn’t majorly impact him in that skill. And it shows: he is such an amazing actor in the roles I’ve seen him play, especially as Spider-Man, who is one of the MCU’s most likable characters.

I’m surprised that an actor associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a known disability. I’m also happy that Tom is still able to be a successful actor despite his problems. Now that we know about his disabilities, I hope more people with those disabilities are able to admire him in a new way. I also hope that there are more celebrities in the future who can open up about their disabilities.

Photo attribution: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons