Marisa Tomei says watching Tom Holland and Zendaya ‘fall in love’ was her favorite part of ‘Spider-Man’
Marisa Tomei’s spidey senses told her the romance was real.
The 59-year-old, who portrayed Peter Parker’s Aunt May in the “Spider-Man” trilogy, recently gushed over her co-stars, Tom Holland and Zendaya.
“I think some of the favorite things were really just watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and watching them fall in love … and seeing their phenomenal talent,” Tomei shared during a panel at Fan Expo 2024 on Sunday.
“Just being, like, blown away from the the get-go … I mean, I’m blown away.”
But watching the couple spin their web of love on set wasn’t the only part that blew her away.
“Some people are just meant for it, and they are meant for it,” the actress added about their talent. “They carry enormous, enormous star power and they manage to be real people at the same time.”
Holland, 28, played Spidey and his alter ego Peter Parker, while Zendaya, 27, portrayed the superhero’s girlfriend, Michelle “MJ” Jones.
The trio starred in the three MCU “Spider-Man” films, including: “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019), and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021).
The “Uncharted” alum was 21, while the “Euphoria” star was only 20 when the first film hit theaters.
Tomei continued to praise Holland and Zendaya, adding, “They’re multitalented. They can do everything! They sing, they dance, they act, they do stunts, they design fashion. I mean, what are they not doing? They’re incredible, incredible people.”
Although the couple met on set in 2016, they didn’t confirm their relationship until 2021.
Over the years, Zendaya and Holland have commented on wanting to keep their love lives out of the spotlight — despite how difficult that may be.
“Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love,” the Disney alum told Elle in 2023. “But also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”
But that doesn’t stop Zendaya from giving her other half a sweet shout-out from time to time.
“I don’t know. Rizz is short for charisma, right? Everybody’s kind of got their own,” Zendaya told BuzzFeed in February after they asked who had the best “rizz” among the “Dune: Part Two” cast.
“I think someone who has beautiful charisma, not on the ‘Dune’ cast, but personally works for me, is Mr. Tom Holland.”
Meanwhile, Holland has also been vocal about his leading lady — both on-screen and IRL.
“I’m lucky that I have someone like Zendaya in my life,” he said while on the “Smartless” podcast in July 2023. “It’s interesting being in a romantic relationship with someone that is in the same boat as you. You can share your experiences and all that sort of stuff — and that’s worth its weight in gold.”
