Shadowing Practice: Tom Holland Shares His Favourite Hobbies - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi, I'm Theo van den Bruyke, Editor -in -Chief of Esquire UK.
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And I'm Tom Holland and we're going to be talking today about some things that make me feel good. So Tom, Golf.
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Why golf?
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I like golf just because it's incredibly humbling.
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Right.
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You know, no matter how hard you practice or how often you play, you can still have days where it feels like you don't or have never played before.
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Sure.
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And for me, I have a really overactive brain.
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-Right.
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-Which I think has served me well as a creative, but sometimes I need things to just help me calm down.
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Have you ever shot a hole -in -one?
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-I have done.
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I've had two hole -in -ones.
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-Have you?
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Really?
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-The first one, unfortunately, I was by myself.
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-Right.
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So no one believes me, which is really unfortunate.
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And then the second one, I was actually playing in a match against a scratch golfer.
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- Okay.
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- And I went against his judgment on what club to hit.
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- Right.
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It went in.
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That's quite amazing.
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I mean, people kind of run for their mental health, right?
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Because it's easy.
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You can throw on some trainers, go out and say that, like, to play golf for your mental health.
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you need a I was going to say a pitch.
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- You can say that.
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A course.
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- Of course.
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You need a course.
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You need all of the kit and everything.
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How often do you find yourself able to play?
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I try and play as much as I can.
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If I'm not working and I have nothing to do, I really do play every day.
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That's quite a commitment.
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I wouldn't say golf is good for my mental health.
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Right because I'm quite a hothead and I can get quite angry on the golf course.
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Making me nervous about you showing me up.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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And I can get really angry.
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But no, I play with my friends.
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I have a great group of guys that I've played with for you know, 10 years plus.
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Right.
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And some of them are much better than me, some of them are sort of the same level as me.
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And then there's a couple guys who know exactly who I'm talking about who are f.
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And, no, I love it.
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I absolutely love it.
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- Okay, let me see what you're working with.
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- Tell me about me.
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Okay, come on.
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Here we go.
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It's the 18th hole.
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- Right, so am I aiming for a hole in once?
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- Yes, yeah, yeah.
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Lost.
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putt to win the Masters, which is next weekend.
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Already looking a bit left, yeah, there you go.
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Okay, any tips?
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Try and close your hips a little bit.
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So like, there you go, that's a better point.
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Now I've touched it, does that mean it doesn't count?
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That's okay.
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You see how your club is closed?
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You let go of it?
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That's...
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-Square to your stance.
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-Oh, interesting.
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That should be a better shot.
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Okay, and then I'm looking at the hole, trying to aim up.
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-Just look at the ball.
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-Okay.
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and don't even look at where it goes.
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- Oh, really?
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- Yeah.
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That feels counterintuitive.
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That's better.
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Oh!
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Mwah -mwah!
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If you hit it just a little softer, that'll go in.
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Okay, I'm enjoying these tips though, right.
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So, That's better.
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Close the face a little bit, now you've overcompensated.
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There you go.
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And a little softer and it'll go in.
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Okay, I dread to think about this stances looking on camera.
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No, you look a little bit like you're taking a poo. But you're okay.
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Three, two, one.
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Come on, Tao.
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-That's good.
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-Yes!
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Tom.
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-There we go.
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-There we go.
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-Didn't need any teaching.
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-Lessons for feeling good and playing golf.
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Thank you for that.
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-I think that was kind of a perfect ending to the video.
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-That's actually quite amazing.
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What a dream.
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You don't even need to see me hit it now.
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I don't want to after you've drained it.
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-No, okay, but you train me.
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That's good.
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That's the point.
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-That was great.
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You were a good listener.
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-You took the direction on really nicely.
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-Oh, I appreciate that.
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Okay, so you're not doing the poo stance.
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I'm not as tall as you though.
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- There you go.
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Sir.
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If I miss all of these, I'm going to get crucified.
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There we go.
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I noticed your follow through.
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That was good.
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- Thank you.
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- But you keep going.
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Yeah, it's just like you kind of want to point at the target.
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So wherever the club ends up.
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Like if I...
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If I put the club, if I followed through to here, it's going to go here.
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The chances are the club will go left.
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Aha.
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So you kind of want to always point at the target.
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It looks like Tom and I got the same score.
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Well I missed that one on purpose.
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Do you have any tap dancing experience?
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No!
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Okay, tap dancing is all about being able to transfer your weight from foot to foot.
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Okay.
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Right, so you want to be able to kind of...
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Like a footballer?
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Like a footballer or a boxer.
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If you were boxing, you'd want to be able to change your weight.
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So the first thing you're going to do is stamp.
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And then you're going to pull your toe back.
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That's the first step.
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- Okay, so.
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- Okay.
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No, no, no. So stamp, pull your toes up.
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That's it.
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Got it.
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Okay, so the next thing is...
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Oh my god.
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No, I'm joking, I'm joking, I'm joking.
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This is hard stamp heal - Click, pop.
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- No. Stamp.
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God, I sound like one of my teachers already.
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No, do it again.
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- We'll see this.
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- Stamp, pick.
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- Okay.
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Hop, step.
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You're very patient, Tom.
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I got it.
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I think we do this once more and then we stop because I'm not going to get it.
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Okay.
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Bye.
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Okay.
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Hop Tell me about movement.
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It's really important.
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Why is movement important to you?
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I think because I've always played characters that have A physicality is a big part of telling that story.
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When you play Spider -Man and you put a mask on, you don't have your face to be able to convey to the audience what's going on.
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- Yeah.
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- So you have to find a way to physically kind of tell that story.
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And sometimes with Spider -Man it can be as simple as cocking the head, usually tells the people that he's confused, you know, surprise is just like lifting your shoulders up a little bit.
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Right.
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And doing that now, in regular clothes, feels really hammy.
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Right.
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But when you do it in the suit, It really translates really well.
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So it's almost like mine.
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It's a little bit like mine, yeah.
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Right.
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You were saying there's something about like that I have perfect turnout.
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That is actually incredible to be fair.
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Thanks.
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Something I've done right.
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Can you plie from there?
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How do we plie?
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The plie is just down.
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And then if you were gonna grand plié, you would go all the way down.
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Okay, I'll move this.
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All these shorts are gonna rip.
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I like that.
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Oh.
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But you can pick your heels up off the floor with a grand plieu.
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There you go, yeah that looks really good.
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That's quite Spider -Man.
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- That's quite impressive.
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Yeah, you take it one step further and go down.
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So, Tom, skincare routines, do you have one?
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Yes and no. If I'm working, I have an amazing makeup artist who takes fantastic care of my skin.
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And if I'm not working, you know, just a nice little splash of water in the morning is kind of...
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And I do moisturize and wear SPF.
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But that's kind of about it.
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Is there any specific moisturizer you go for?
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Yes.
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I wouldn't be able to tell you the name of it, though.
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And I don't buy it.
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My lady is in charge of buying all of those creams and stuff.
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I just.. one of the benefits is that I steal all of her stuff.
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I was gonna say, so they're not your specific creams that you're using?
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No, and they're probably far more expensive than I think they are.
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You know, I'm probably putting far too much moisturizer on. than I should be.
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Other than tap and golf, is there anything in your daily routine you do to make sure you can take care of yourself?
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Probably just daily exercise, to be honest.
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I've been very bad recently.
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I've been traveling a lot, so my exercise has taken a hit.
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But if I'm at home and I have a good schedule going, I'll exercise every day without fail.
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What's that look like?
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Depends on what I'm doing.
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You know, if I'm making a movie, then I'm probably doing like more fitness -based stuff to try
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and make sure I can keep my energy up throughout the day.
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If prepping for a movie.
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For Spider -Man or The Odyssey, it's all about trying to put on as much weight as possible.
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So it kind of varies from day to day, really.
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What are the things in your life that help keep you grounded?
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Definitely my family and my friends.
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You know, I'm very lucky to have a group of friends that will always be incredibly honest and are not yes people.
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That has been something for me that has really, really helped me, especially as my life changed as quickly as it did.
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But yeah, I'd say my friends and my family.
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If you could go back and give your younger advice, what would it be?
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To be perfectly honest with you, I am so happy with where I'm at in my life right now.
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I probably wouldn't change anything.
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You know, like I've made mistakes and all that sort of stuff, but I've learned from all of them.
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So I think I'd probably tell myself to take more holidays.
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as a younger person.
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Maybe go travelling actually.
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My cousin is just about to go travelling through Asia.
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And I really wish when I was sort of 17, 18, that I had done something like that, like thrown a backpack on and travelled somewhere.
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Um, So maybe that's what I would have told myself.
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Is there one destination you've not been to that you'd really kind of make a beeline for?
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I mean, I've been to Japan a bunch of times for work, but never for pleasure.
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And I would love to go and explore Japan.
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Quickfire round.
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Morning cleanse or water rinse?
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Water rinse.
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Same daily routine or switch it up?
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I probably would have to say switch it up, only because I'm terrible at keeping to a routine.
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SPF only on sunny days or every single day?
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Every day, SPF.
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Sounds like a...
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- That's a self -care routine to me.
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- Yeah, but that's very simple.
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That's like moisturizer and sun cream rolled into one.
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- Got it.
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Serum or moisturizer?
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I don't know the difference.
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- Lifting weights or cardio?
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- I prefer to lift weights, but cardio is better for you.
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- Early bird or night owl?
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- I would say I'm more of a night owl.
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I am pretty good at getting up at a good time, but I would much rather stay in bed.
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What's an average bedtime?
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Average bedtime?
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I think about 11, maybe?
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Average wake -up time?
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7. - That's pretty good.
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- I'm quite strict to that.
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- Yoga or run?
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- Yoga chicken salad or Big Mac.
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I actually don't like Big Mac.
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That's not what I order from McDonald's.
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I would rather a salad.
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Hot or cold shower?
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A hot shower.
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Sauna or steam?
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Sauna.
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Wimbledon World Cup.
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Bye.
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What, would I like to win either of them?
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I mean, it'd have to be the World Cup.
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Really?
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Yeah, because, you know, to play as a team would be really special, but Wimbledon is
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so special and maybe one of the greatest sporting events of all time but then so is the World Cup.
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I'd have to say, especially because the World Cup is this year, I'm gonna put it out there and say the World Cup.
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Thank you Tom.
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Thank you.
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Okay.
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Oh, that's the microphone.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by engaging with the transcript of an interview featuring Tom Holland. The focus will be on understanding his experiences and thoughts about golf, mental health, and the social aspects of playing with friends. By following the shadowspeak technique, you will enhance your ability to mimic natural speech patterns, improve your English pronunciation, and gain confidence in your conversational skills. This exercise is ideal for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice or anyone looking to elevate their spoken English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Humbling: Making you realize that you are not as good as you think; it brings a sense of humility.
- Overactive brain: Having racing thoughts or excessive thinking.
- Calm down: To become or make someone more relaxed and less agitated.
- Hole-in-one: A score in golf when the ball is hit directly from the tee into the hole on the green.
- Commitment: A promise or dedication to a task, in this case, to play golf regularly.
- Hothead: A person who is easily angered or has a quick temper.
- Kit: The necessary equipment or gear for a particular activity.
Practice Tips
To effectively use the shadowing technique while practicing with this video transcript, follow these tips:
- Listen carefully: Start by listening to the video without looking at the transcript. Focus on the tone, rhythm, and pronunciation of Tom Holland's speech.
- Read along: Next, read the transcript as you listen. This will help you associate the spoken words with their written form, enhancing your vocabulary.
- Imitate his style: Pause the video after each sentence or phrase and repeat it out loud. Try to mimic not just the words but also the intonation and emotion behind them.
- Practice at your own pace: If the speech feels too fast, break it down into smaller sections. Use the shadowspeak method to practice each segment until you feel confident to move on to the next.
- Record yourself: As you improve, record your shadowing attempts. Listening to your recordings will help you identify areas where you can enhance your pronunciation and speech flow.
By consistently practicing with this engaging material, you will not only improve your English pronunciation but also your ability to participate in conversations about everyday topics, making you a more fluent speaker.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you were boxing, you'd want |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have never played · has served · Have you ever shot |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | guys who know · Masters, which is |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was actually playing · were saying |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.