4 Facts About Tom Holland's Role In 'Uncharted'!

Tom Holland and iconic action movies are two things that seem to go hand-in-hand these days. The pattern continues, from the Spider-Man series to The Lost City of Z, with Uncharted, a new adventure movie in which Tom Holland plays Nathan Drake, a kid with street smarts that treasure hunter Victor Sullivan (Mark Walhberg) pairs up with to find a 500-year-old lost fortune amassed by famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan. This action film is based on PlayStation's hit Uncharted video game series, which follows the same plotline as gamers attempt to steal back the treasure.

Uncharted is currently out in theaters, and in preparation for viewing, here are a few fun Tom Holland-centric facts about the movie! 

1. Nate’s Age Was Changed For Tom 

Played by the dashing Tom Holland, Nate looks to be in his mid-twenties. But in the video games, he embarks on his first adventure when he’s around 31 years old! This age switch translates into a different relationship between Nate and Sully. In the games, Sully watches Nate grow up as a teenager, with their age gap being large enough that they develop a father-son bond. However, in the movie, Sully is placed in his early-40s, making them more frenemies than anything.  

2. Tom Engaged In Some Serious Method Acting To Play Nate 

In a few introductory scenes to Nate’s character, viewers witness him bartending like a pro. There was no stunt double involved; in fact, Holland actually took up bartending on the side to prepare for the scene! In an interview with Sirius XM’s Jessica Shaw, Holland explained that he went to bartending school and then picked up a few shifts at a bar in London. However, he mentioned that “as word spread around town, and people started figuring out that 'apparently Tom Holland's bartending at this bar,' then the general manager started figuring it out. And then eventually I sort of got kicked out. I have been back to the bar, but it's a little bit of a rocky relationship at the minute. I've been giving them a lot of press, though. So they just shut up and let me back.” 

3. Preparing For The Role Almost “Broke” Him 

Holland’s popularity as an actor means little to no downtime between shoots, which can be strenuous for an actor doing back-to-back action movies. Unlike Spider-Man: No Way Home, where a lot of the stunt scenes rely on CGI effects, Holland had to use real-life skills to play Nathan Drake. In an interview, Holland talked about his experiences on-set, telling reporters that “They tell you, ‘Right, we’re going to do this stunt where you’re going to jump into the back of an airplane and then you get hit by a car out of the airplane.’ And you’re like, ‘Wow, that sounds amazing!'” Holland said. “And then you shoot it, and you’re on take 12, and they are like, ‘Can we do it again?’ And you’re like, ‘No, I’m done.’ It was tough.” He also added that he developed tendinitis by the time filming on Uncharted finished in early 2021!

4. Zendaya Was Totally Confused By Holland’s Role 

On the set of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland spent some time prepping for Uncharted and reading the script for the movie. During his downtime, he read some scenes to his co-star and girlfriend Zendaya, who had absolutely no grasp of the material. “I was actually on set on Spider-Man pitching the movie to Zendaya,” Holland said in an interview with Seth Meyers. “I was going through the film scene-by-scene, and I told her, ‘Oh, there’s this great bit where I get hit by a car out of a plane.’ And she’s like, ‘I have to stop you there. What on Earth is this movie about?'” It’s a completely relatable reaction when you’re told that your boyfriend is going to be hit by a car out of a plane!