Quick answer: On The Rich Roll Podcast, Spider-Man star Tom Holland said he only meant to do Dry January in 2022, but struggled so much without alcohol that it scared him. He added February, then March, then aimed for his June 1 birthday, and then a full year. By the time he passed a year sober, he said, "I was done."
Source: The Rich Roll Podcast, "Tom Holland: Launching a Second Career, Living Alcohol-Free, & Acting With Authenticity," clipped as a YouTube Short.
Who is Tom Holland?
Tom Holland is an English actor best known for playing Spider-Man in the Marvel films, starting with Captain America: Civil War in 2016. He first made his name on stage in Billy Elliot the Musical in London. He spoke with Rich Roll, the ultra-endurance athlete and podcast host who is himself sober, on an episode released in October 2024.
"It really scared me"
"I didn't decide to put the booze in the rearview to begin with," Holland says. "I just decided to do Dry January. And in doing Dry January, it really scared me because I had a really tough time."
He says he couldn't wrap his head around how much he was struggling, so "as a sort of punishment" he added February. "The second month was no easier. If anything, it got a little bit harder." That's when he started to think, "Maybe I have a bit of an issue here."
Month by month
Holland kept going through March. Then he set a goal: if he could reach June 1, his birthday, and six months without alcohol, he would have proved to himself that he didn't have a problem and was "just young and enjoying a drink."
By six months, he says, the benefits had kicked in. "I started sleeping better. I was handling stressful situations better. My relationship was better. My relationship with my family was better. My relationship with my work was better." He decided to aim for a year, and by the time he crossed that mark, "I was done."
People magazine reported on the same interview. Holland also told Roll he said "I'm never gonna drink again" because he felt like the best version of himself.
From sober to a beer company
Holland didn't just quit. In 2024 he launched Bero, a non-alcoholic craft beer brand he co-founded, which was the "second career" in the episode title.
His story also fits a bigger trend. Dry January started in the UK in 2013 as a charity campaign, now run by Alcohol Change UK, and it has spread well beyond Britain. For some, like Holland, the month raises questions they didn't expect.
Why the clip resonates
What makes the clip land is how ordinary it sounds. Holland doesn't describe a dramatic low point. He describes a month that was harder than he expected, and choosing to keep going instead of brushing it off. He also didn't give himself a lifetime pledge on day one. He moved the finish line a little at a time until the benefits made the choice for him.
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FAQ
When did Tom Holland stop drinking? He started with Dry January in 2022 and kept going. He told Rich Roll in October 2024 that he had stopped for good.
Why did Tom Holland quit alcohol? He said Dry January was so hard that it scared him, so he kept going, and after six months he felt much better.
What is Tom Holland's non-alcoholic beer called? Bero, a non-alcoholic beer brand he co-founded and launched in 2024.
What is Tom Holland's real name? The Spider-Man actor's full name is Thomas Stanley Holland.