Tom Hollander is a talented and accomplished British actor with many iconic roles in his portfolio. He gained global recognition thanks to his performances in Pride & Prejudice and in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, he owes much of his recent success to his outstanding role in HBO’s The White Lotus season 2.
Hollander is one of the most talked about stars of The White Lotus season 2, alongside the iconic Jennifer Coolidge. His hilarious and a little bit creepy portrayal of Quentin got fans talking about the talent behind the role. Tom Hollander truly stole the show, so here are eight facts you didn’t know about him.
1. Tom Hollander Was Born in Bristol
Just like his onstage character Quentin, Tom Hollander is also British. He was born in Bristol in 1967 and later raised in Oxford. He comes from a talented family, as it often happens in life. The Hollander family is made of academics and musical talents, with even Tom’s grandfather being an established musicologist. When he was young, he was also a member of the National Youth Theatre and the National Youth Music Theatre.
2. He Graduated From Cambridge University
Another thing you probably didn’t know about Tom Hollander is that he’s a Cambridge University alumnus. He attended the prestigious university with his childhood friend Sam Mendes. The two collaborated on the well-remembered 1981’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac. They continued working together on The Cherry Orchard, Chichester Festival Theatre, and Kean.
3. Tom Hollander Has a Lot of Iconic Roles Under His Belt
Hollander has been acting since 1981, so he has an abundance of iconic roles under his belt. Other than his outstanding performance as Quentin in The White Lotus, he also did a phenomenal job portraying Mr. Collins in Joe Wright‘s Pride & Prejudice in 2015 and as Lord Cutler Beckett in The Pirates of the Caribbean. His other impressive performances were in About Time, Bohemian Rhapsody, Hanna, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, The Invisible Woman, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Valkyrie, and In the Loop.
4. He Won a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award
Tom Hollander is not just a fan favorite, but he’s also an award-winning actor. He won a BAFTA Award for The Night Manager and a Screen Actors Guild Award for The White Lotus. He also received the Evening Standard Film Awards Comedy Award and London Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor for his amazing performance in Pride & Prejudice.
5. Tom Hollander Supports Many Charitable Causes
Another fact thing about Tom Hollander is his charity work. He has been helping charities raise funds and supporting several charitable causes, such as the Teenage Cancer Trust, the Childline Crisis Hotline, and the Helen & Douglas House Hospice for Children and Young Adults. Other than that, he has donated some of his movie prompts and valuable objects to charitable auctions, such as his Pirates of the Caribbean film scripts and the Tiffany travel clock given to him by Tom Cruise.
6. He Began His Acting Career in the Theatre
Even though he’s a renowned movie actor, Hollander actually made his acting debut in the theatre. In fact, as a child, Tom Hollander trained with the National Youth Theatre, which is a UK organization for youngsters in the field of musical theatre. During his university studies, he often participated in shows with the Cambridge Footlights, which is a student sketch comedy group. Interestingly enough, he was also the president of the Marlowe Society, a theatre club for Cambridge students. Some of his most impressive theatre work includes plays The Way of the World, Tartuffe, and Patriots.
7. Tom Hollander Is a Talented Voice Actor
Other than being a hugely recognized character actor in movies and shows, Hollander is also an established voice actor. He is most known for voicing Tabaqui in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Alfred Pennyworth in the animated series Harley Quinn, and Mole in The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. “In a way, voice work is the least stress of all jobs. Because you’re so free, and you can do it in your pajamas. And you don’t have to learn anything. Also, if you do it badly, it’s very easy for them to cut your mistakes,” Hollander said.
8. He’s Worked With Director Joe Wright Several Times
Another interesting thing about Hollander is his long-time collaboration with the talented director Joe Wright. The two worked together on some of their greatest projects. They first collaborated on Pride & Prejudice in 2005, then The Soloist in 2009, and Hanna in 2011.
