Why hosting 'SNL' is 'petrifying' for Tom Holland
What's the story
Actor Tom Holland has opened up about his fear of hosting Saturday Night Live (SNL). Despite being a fan of the show and having been approached to guest host it "a few times," his dyslexia makes him "so petrified" about reading from cue cards. He shared this on the Good Hang podcast, saying, "I'm heavily dyslexic, which is one of the reasons why-and I'd love to talk to you today about it, actually-is why I've never done SNL."
Reading challenge
'Can read fine. But when I've to read out loud...'
When host-actor-comedian Amy Poehler guessed "many dyslexics" would have hosted the show across its 51-season run, Holland explained his difficulty with reading aloud due to dyslexia. He said, "It's just that, for me, I can read fine. But when I have to read out loud, it just becomes, a kind of... it's like a mental block, and I can freeze."
Work challenges
'My worst day at work is the read-through'
Holland further elaborated on his struggles with reading scripts. He said, "So, for me, my worst day at work is the read-through." "At the read-through, I will really try and highlight everything and learn my lines ahead of time, so that I'm more kind of skimming it than I am reading."
Show admiration
His thoughts on 'SNL'
Holland expressed his love for SNL, saying, "I love the show and I love the idea of having fun and making a fool of yourself in such a fun creative way." However, his fear of reading from cue cards has held him back from hosting. Fans can soon see him return as Spider-Man in Brand New Day (July 31). For the unversed, Poehler has been an SNL cast member from 2001 to 2008.