In 2017, just months before his first starring turn as the webslinger in Spider-Man: Homecoming, actor Tom Holland engaged in a competitive publicity battle against his co-star (and now partner), Zendaya, on the show Lip Sync Battle. He made the audacious choice to trade his superhero threads for a black corset, fishnets, and a soaking-wet stage, performing a mash-up of Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” The result was not just a viral moment, but an instant piece of pop culture legend.
Holland, a former stage star who once played the role of Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical, had the dancing chops, but the bold costume and full commitment to Rihanna’s theatrical music video stunned viewers. The Element of Surprise: Competing against Zendaya, who delivered a high-energy performance of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic,” Holland knew he needed a showstopper. The transition mid-performance from a classic tap dance routine to the aggressive, pop choreography of “Umbrella” was a deliberate risk. The Father’s Worry: Holland later revealed that his father, Dominic Holland, initially urged him to back out of the performance, fearing the “suggestive” and highly exposed routine might negatively impact his burgeoning Hollywood career. The Data Point: Despite—or because of—the risk, the official YouTube upload of the performance quickly became one of the most-watched clips in the show’s history, accumulating tens of millions of views and cementing its status as the show’s most iconic moment.
One of the most powerful elements that drove the clip’s virality was the genuine, visceral reaction of his co-star, Zendaya. Her face, a perfect mix of shock, delight, and realization that she had just lost the competition, became an instant meme and an indispensable part of the performance’s legacy. Zendaya’s wide-eyed expression reflected the audience’s own astonishment as Holland shed the preppy image of Peter Parker and fully embraced the confident, unapologetic persona of a pop diva.
A Career-Defining Moment: The performance had an immediate and lasting impact on Holland’s career, achieving exactly what his father had worried about—sudden, massive fame—but in a positive way. Establishing Versatility: The performance proved to the world that the new Spider-Man possessed not only acting and acrobatic skill but a fearless stage presence and a willingness to embrace camp and gender-bending roles. This broadened his appeal beyond comic book fans. The Star-Making Tour: The performance aired right before the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming. The media buzz generated by “Umbrella” provided invaluable, highly engaging publicity, ensuring Tom Holland was a recognizable household name long before the movie premiered. In a single, electrifying performance, Tom Holland proved that the greatest viral moments often come from the simplest acts of full, fearless commitment to the bit.