Nearly a decade later, Tom Holland’s unforgettable performance of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” on Lip Sync Battle is still making waves.
While appearing on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, the Spider-Man star looked back on the viral 2017 moment and revealed that, despite starring in blockbuster franchises and some of Hollywood’s biggest films, fans still bring up that dance more than anything else.
“I’ve watched it 5,000 times,” Holland said. “I get more compliments for that dance than any piece of work I have ever done.”
For anyone who needs a refresher, Holland’s performance has become the stuff of internet legend.
Back in 2017, Holland and his Spider-Man: Homecoming co-star Zendaya faced off on Lip Sync Battle while promoting the Marvel film. Both came prepared. Zendaya delivered a soulful rendition of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone” before returning later as Bruno Mars for a dazzling performance of “24K Magic,” complete with gold confetti and all the superstar energy fans could ask for.
Holland started with Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me,” but he was saving his biggest surprise for last.
The actor took the stage in a suit and top hat for a Gene Kelly-inspired performance of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Then, after disappearing behind an umbrella, the music abruptly changed. Holland emerged wearing a black leather leotard, fishnets, a bob wig, and red lipstick before launching into a rain-soaked performance of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.”
The choreography, commitment, and sheer confidence instantly turned the performance into one of the most iconic moments in Lip Sync Battle history.
During the podcast, Poehler reflected on why the performance connected with so many people beyond its entertainment value.
“You’ve talked about it, being a young boy doing ballet, being a person who has to figure out what is typically male and what is typically female, what comes from all that,” Poehler said. “When you come out confidently in that outfit and crush it, it exploded everybody’s ideas of everything in the best way.”
She continued, “I know that wasn’t your intention maybe, but I just hope you know that it opened up a lot of feelings for a lot of people.”
Holland admitted he never viewed the performance through that lens at the time.
“It never really crossed my mind how it would be received,” he said. “I just thought, ‘Oh, what a fun idea.’”
Instead, he was focused on pulling off the surprise.
Holland recalled feeling the audience’s energy shift during the opening “Singin’ in the Rain” section, noting that many younger audience members likely didn’t understand where the performance was headed.
“You felt the energy in the room literally deflate,” he said. “I started doing the thing in the suit and everyone in the audience is like 19 years old, and was like, ‘What on earth is he doing?’”
But Holland knew exactly what was coming next.
“I just knew in my body,” he said. “When I take this suit off, you are going to go nuts.”
The actor also shared a funny behind-the-scenes story from rehearsals. According to Holland, someone on the production team suggested making his shorts even shorter.
“I will say at one point in the dress rehearsal, the lady was like, ‘Do you think we could cut the shorts a little bit shorter?’” Holland recalled. “I was like, ‘No.’”
Poehler quickly joked, “You were like, ‘Okay, I am doing enough.’”
“I’m doing enough for the cause,” Holland replied. “This is still years ahead of its time.”
Looking back, Holland also revealed that there was plenty happening off-camera during the quick costume change.
“I had to put lipstick on behind the dancers and I had to rip the suit off behind them,” he said. “I’m almost sad I didn’t do that on camera because it was so fun just having a rip-away suit.”
The conversation ended with Poehler praising Holland’s willingness to fully commit to creative risks, something she believes is increasingly rare.
“It’s such a thrilling performance,” Poehler told him.
“Thank you,” Holland replied. “That’s why I’m so excited for this Fred Astaire thing. Because of how scary it is. If I don’t commit to it 100%, it won’t work.”
Holland is referring to his upcoming starring role as legendary dancer and actor Fred Astaire in a long-gestating biopic. The project will require him to lean heavily on his dance background, which first made his Umbrella performance such a standout moment.
Poehler then explained why performances like Umbrella continue to resonate years later.
“There’s like a million different ways in which you can put your art out into the world, right? Everybody gets to put it out however they want,” she said. “There’s just few representations of men that feel open to experiences in that way.”
Then, with a laugh, she added: “So save us.”
“I will do my best,” Holland responded.
It was a fitting end to a conversation about a performance that started as a fun surprise but evolved into something much bigger. Nearly a decade later, Holland’s rain-soaked rendition of “Umbrella” remains a reminder that confidence, vulnerability, and a willingness to challenge expectations can leave a lasting impact. Today, the video has hundreds of millions of views.