Tom Holland Is Now The Highest-Grossing Actor Of All Time, but These 22 Memes Prove We've Loved Him Since the 'Umbrella' Dance

Celeste Mello • Writer and Editor

Sep 15, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

The box office has finally caught up with what the internet has known since 2017… it is impossible not to root for Tom Holland.

This Hollywood achievement is extraordinary for a 30-year-old actor whose career already spans some of the biggest franchises in cinema, and he still has decades ahead of him. The enormous success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey helped push his cumulative total past Zoe Saldaña's. I'm so happy for Tom, but I have to admit I liked the idea of a woman being the highest-grossing actor of all time.

Anyway, the audience didn't wait for a box-office record to start loving him. His iconic 'Umbrella' performance on Lip Sync Battle had us all. He committed to the choreography, the costume, the dramatic expressions, and every drop of rainwater on that stage. Even Tom himself said that people have praised him more for that performance than for any other work of his. Fans will never allow him to escape that lip-sync performance. I don't know if he wants to escape that, though. I believe he must feel proud.

If there is anything we can say about Tom is that he is really multifaceted. He can swing through New York, fight villains, then appear in an interview looking like he is one question away from accidentally revealing a part of the Marvel plot. He has that kind of energy of an extremely talented movie star who could have forgotten to turn off the oven when he headed out of the house. I love that combination.

His career has only grown since the Umbrella dance, and the memes have followed him through every stage. These Tom Holland memes celebrate both sides of his public image. The record-breaking leading man and the charming and chaotic person fans have loved for years. That's the internet's particular way of showing affection. We love you, Tom. Becoming the highest-grossing actor is another impressive achievement in his career, and the numbers confirm that he is a major star… But the internet knows that the 'Umbrella' dance was what made him truly unforgettable.