Tom Hollander says he was once sent a seven-figure box office bonus – that belonged to Tom Holland for the Avengers
"White Lotus" star Tom Hollander – not to be confused with "Spider-Man" star Tom Holland – said a small mix-up landed him a seven-figure bonus that didn't belong to him. Instead, Hollander said, the money he received was supposed to go to Holland.
During an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," the host asked Hollander if people ever mix him up with Holland, who is 27. "Yes, it's been very difficult because I was here first," said Hollander, 56.
He said oftentimes children will be excited to meet him – thinking he is the "Spider-Man" actor – only to be disappointed when they see him.
But one mix-up with Holland stands out. "People in the accounts department of my agency got confused – and we were with the same agency, briefly," Hollander said. "It was a terrible moment."
Hollander said he was in the audience watching a friend perform a play in the U.K. when the mix-up happened.
"I sat smugly in the audience just having done a BBC show for $30,000," he said. "Then the interval came and I checked my email. And I got an email saying, 'Payment advice slip: Your first box office bonus for 'The Avengers.'"
Hollander said it was Holland's bonus – given on top of a salary, often based on how well a film does – and it was more money than he's ever seen. "It was a seven-figure sum," he said. "He was 20 or something. So my feeling of smugness I had disappeared. But that's showbiz. It's up, it's down, it's hero, it's zero."
"You're always one email away from having your whole life turned upside-down," Meyers said.
Holland has been portraying Spider-Man since his appearance in the 2016 Marvel film "Captain America: Civil War." The superhero movies are known for being high-grossing blockbusters. "Avengers: Endgame," which features several superheroes, is the highest grossing in the franchise. The 2019 film raked in more than $858 million.
The second-highest grossing in the franchise is "Spider-Man: No Way Home." The 2021 flick, starring Holland, brought in more than $800 million.
Hollander is known for films like "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Loop." He recently played the villain in the second season of HBO's popular "White Lotus" series and currently stars as Truman Capote in the series "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans."
Caitlin O'KaneCaitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.