Jon Bernthal is a big fan of Tom Holland.
The Bear star shared his appreciation for the Uncharted actor, whom he first collaborated with in the 2017 film Pilgrimage, in a pair of interviews at The Odyssey‘s premiere on Tuesday.
“I’ve known Tom since he was 17. We did our audition tapes together for Spider-Man and Punisher in Ireland,” Bernthal said in an interview with Variety. “I couldn’t be more in awe of him, more proud of him, to witness him growing up and becoming the man he is, the movie star that he is.”
A decade after Holland and Bernthal worked together on Pilgrimage and helped each other with their respective Marvel audition tapes, the two actors are costarring in two of the biggest movies of 2026: The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, both of which also feature Holland’s longtime partner Zendaya.
“I love that I got to get to know Zendaya a little bit,” Bernthal said. “I love their relationship, I love seeing it.”
Jon Bernthal in New York City on May 15
Credit: Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Bernthal is impressed with how Holland has grown over the course of their friendship. “Beyond all the movie star stuff, beyond all the success that that guy has, the fact that he has that kind of relationship and that kind of support, and that he loves as hard as he does, makes me so happy, I’m just so proud of him and happy for him,” he said.
Holland also crashed Bernthal’s red carpet interview with Extra, hugging the Walking Dead alum from behind. “Let’s f—ing go!” Bernthal said upon seeing Holland. “I got to do two with him. He’s family to me.”
Elsewhere in his Extra interview, Bernthal expressed his appreciation for being cast in The Odyssey. “I’m just so grateful to get to be a part of it,” he said. “The size, the scope, the attention to detail, working with Chris [Nolan] — he’s one of the rare people on this Earth that is doing the exact thing that he’s put on this Earth to do, and I’m just so honored that I get to be a part of it, and so honored that I got to see it and be there.”
Tom Holland and Zendaya in Rome on June 23
Credit: Franco Origlia/WireImage
Bernthal hopes that studios and audiences appreciate the creative freedom that Nolan exercised to craft The Odyssey, and said that Hollywood should continue giving filmmakers the space to express themselves on a massive scale.
“Moviemaking and auteur-driven moviemaking is what it’s all about,” he said. “Giving somebody like Chris Nolan everything he possibly can, and giving these unbelievable filmmakers all the room, all the breath — he will bring people to the theaters. People will come to see it.”
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He continued, “I love it for movies, I love it for the industry. I think it’s essential, and I think this is great for the whole medium.”
The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into cinemas on July 31.
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