A couple days ago, I noted there were four or five famous Tom H.’s onscreen—Hanks, Hardy, Hiddleston, Holland, Hollander—who had never appeared onscreen at the same time. That’s arguable, but it depends how you define “appeared.” I’d overlooked voice-only roles when I checked on this, and that turned out to be a mistake. Thanks to Don Hauptman for pointing this wrinkle out!
The movie Locke from 2013 is ambitious in its smallness. Tom Hardy is the only actor we see onscreen, and almost the whole film consists of him taking calls in a BMW. Hardy plays construction foreman Ivan Locke, who had a one-night stand months ago now resulting in a child. Locke is determined to drive from Birmingham to London and be there for the birth, a decision likely to cost him his marriage and his position.
Ivan has two sons already, Sean and Eddie, with their mother Katrina. Holland plays Ivan’s younger son, Eddie. When Eddie and Ivan begin talking, Eddie’s only concern is when his dad will be home so they can watch the game together.
Over the course of the movie, it becomes undeniable that Ivan has destroyed his home life and work life. Or undeniable to an adult, anyway. Eddie, still a child, ends the movie trying to get things back to the way they were:
We recorded it for you, so you have to come home to watch it. You’ll have to come home, and I’ve had an idea. We’ll pretend we don’t know the score and pretend it’s happening then. Pretend it’s live. And me and Sean will go mad the same. You can have the beer and Mum can make the sausages. So that’s what we’ll do. Good night, Dad.
So there you have it! Tom Holland is never shown on screen—he was 16 years old around the time this was filmed, and Eddie’s age is more left for us to imagine. But it’s still a crunchy set of interactions between two actors worthy of their fame.
One more Tom H. anecdote, this one sent in by Steven Smith. Movie fans aren’t the only ones who get Tom Holland mixed up with Tom Hollander. As the BBC reported just a couple of days ago, Hollander once got a check meant for Holland. Hollander is a star on TV’s The White Lotus, among many other credits. He’s doing just fine for himself…but he’s not making Avengers money, as that experience rudely reminded him.
My feelings of smugness disappeared… I obviously don't actually get mistaken for him, but in non-visual contexts, I'm mistaken for him all the time. Talking to utility companies...or when I'm introduced to somebody's very excited, then confused, then disappointed children.
Those last three adjectives really tell a story, don’t they? Makes me grateful there are no well-known writers named “Dee Campbell.”
Tomorrow: The trouble with highway signs.