Tom Holland took the world by storm when he stepped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the latest Peter Parker and Spider-Man, giving the character his youngest, most talkative, and most earnest portrayal yet.
He's since made quite a name for himself outside of the MCU, as well, including Uncharted, The Impossible, his voice acting part in the Pixar film Onward, and most recently, his role as Telemachus in Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey.
However, Tom Holland's role in The Odyssey soon created a bit of confusion on social media and in Google search results, as there was someone else who was very involved in ancient texts and fallen empires, and that person was ... Tom Holland.
That's not a typo: there's Tom Holland the actor, first Spider-Man and now Telemachus, and there's also the historian Tom Holland, who is a multi-best-selling author and researcher of ancient worlds, legends, and texts, overlapping heavily with the world of Homer's The Odyssey.
To clear the air, the two Tom Hollands decided it was time to meet and discuss The Odyssey prior to the movie going to theaters on July 17, 2026, resulting in the latest episode of The Rest is History podcast.
When they approached the filming area, they both stepped toward a stage chair labeled "Tom Holland," and they recreated the famous Spider-Man meme, originally pulled from the 1967 cartoon, episode 19 of the first season, "Double Identity."
American Broadcasting Company/Cartoon Network/YTV/Family Channel
At the beginning of their conversation, the pair of Toms got the awkwardness out of the way right away.
Historian Tom Holland opened the episode with a quip:
"Hello everyone, and welcome to a 'Rest is History' special."
"I am Tom Holland, and I have with me the real Tom Holland."
Actor Tom Holland quickly corrected:
"Not the real Tom Holland, just another Tom Holland."
Historian Tom Holland admitted:
"I know my place. If I were the kind of person who regularly Googled himself, I mean, you would have destroyed my ability to do that."
The pair then sat down and talked at length about Tom Holland the actor's knowledge of The Odyssey before stepping into the role, all he's learned since then, and how Christopher Nolan's adaptation capitalizes on the high points of the epic poem.
Needless to say, fans were excited to see the two Tom Hollands meet.
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You can watch the full episode of The Rest is History podcast here:
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
