In 2017, MCU starTom Hollandperformed a forever iconic lip sync to Rihanna’s “Umbrella” in a battle against his now-fiancé Zendaya, and now, he’s opening up about it.Lip Sync Battlewas a reality competition show that first aired on Paramount Network (formerly Spike) on August 01, 2025. The show ran for 5 seasons from 2015 to 2019.
Lip Sync Battle’s concept involved two different celebrities competing against each other every week, who would have to prepare two lip-sync performances, and then the audience would decide the winner. In addition to Holland, many other notable celebrities who have appeared on the show include Channing Tatum, Kathy Bates, Kaley Cuoco, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, and more.
While a guest on Gordon Ramsay’s talk showScrambled,Holland opened up about his 2017 performance inLip Sync Battlein drag, and how wearing fishnets was his idea. During Ramsay’s show, Holland admitted that he loved showcasing his hidden dance talent and also mentioned how his father, Dominic Holland, initially attempted to steer him away from doing the performance.
Holland then revealed how surprised he is that the dance is still so well-remembered, despite the fact that he playedPeter Parker in Spider-Man. Check out his comments below:
What was really great about that is people didn’t know that I could dance. I kept that quiet, I don’t know why. And I came out with a bang.
..And then the rain machine came in. And then I was like, “F— it, I wanna wear fishnets and do this, and I want a wig and a quick-change.”
When I told my dad, he was like, “Son, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t think you should do that.” I think he was just, at that time in my career, he was very worried about me becoming too famous too quickly. So he was really keen for me to not do extra TV shows that I didn’t have to do to try and maintain that part of my childhood.
Honestly, of all the pieces of work I’ve done, that I’ve put my heart and soul into, blood, sweat, and tears, theLip Sync Battleis the thing that everyone brings up. It’s neverSpider-Man, it’s never any of my other movies, it’s alwaysLip Sync Battle. It haunts me.
What This Means For Tom Holland
Even though this “Umbrella” lip sync performance, which also included a mashup of “Singin' in the Rain,” occurred almost 8 years ago, it is still one of the most remembered moments of Holland’s career.
He still seems surprised that this viral clip is still one of his most recognizable performances, and many ofHolland’s movies and TV showshave been beloved. But, since he got to show off his dance skills, he also seems fulfilled by the performance.
“Tyrone” by Erykah Badu
“Singin' in the Rain” by Gene Kelly/ “Umbrella” by Rihanna
Win
Loss
Holland was a dancer early in his career, having portrayed the title character inBilly Elliot the Musicalin the West End. While Holland was back on stage in the West End inRomeo and Julietin 2024, he may begin to pursue more jobs that involve dance, based on his enthusiasm for dance and his “Umbrella” lip sync.
Our Take On The Legacy Of Tom Holland’s “Umbrella” Performance
Holland’s lip sync to Rihanna’s modern classic pop song remains one of the best lip sync performances of all time, even proving to be just as entertaining or more than manylip sync performances fromRuPaul’s Drag Race. Holland shouldn’t be anything short of proud, because the performance went viral for a reason–it’s incredible.
Only time will tell if Holland delivers more dance numbers similar to this one in the future. But for now, viewers will continue to be entertained by the display of sheer talent in a lip sync battle thatTom Hollanddoes indeed win against Zendaya.
lip sync battle
Cast
Lip Sync Battle is a television series where each episode showcases two A-list celebrities competing in lip sync performances. Hosted by LL Cool J and featuring commentary by Chrissy Teigen, the show highlights the stars' entertaining and humorous portrayals of popular songs.
