Distance || Tom Holland

Prologue

If you asked me where I'd be when I started acting seriously 4 years ago (when I was 16), I would not have expected to be working on the set of such a huge movie franchize and one of the most anticipated movies of all time. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, is like the biggest Cinematic Universe ever - in my opinion anyway. So, to be a part of it in any way is an actor's dream, if you're into all that superhero stuff that is. And believe me, I am.

I'm not cast in any Marvel movies exactly, one could only hope they'd get such an opportunity, but I had an offer to work behind the scenes on the much anticipated Avengers: Infinity War and I could not pass it up. And as Robert Downey Jr's niece, I guess you could say I have a little bit of an upper hand in the entertainment industry.

Since I started acting, I've been cast in a couple of movies as a minor character and had a couple of guest roles on TV shows. I've always had an innate curiosity of what goes on behind the scenes of a movie and TV show. I'd always ask questions, even during the guest roles I had on TV shows when I was 12. I tried to observe as much as I could - when I wasn't prepping for my role that is. Asking questions and thinking about the production was tricky for me since I get laser-focused when I have a role, so it was hard for me to do both.

It was one day when I was having lunch with my uncle that I expressed my desire to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes and the production aspect of it all. Specifically with a movie like Avengers: Infinity War, with all the CGI and the rumor that there's going to be so many characters/actors in it. I wondered how it all worked.

Do they film most of it with a green screen? How exactly does uncle Rob wear the Iron Man suit? Is it all CGI? (I've asked him this before). And what about the Hulk? How does that work? As a director, how do you direct such a large cast, especially while keeping the secrets from the cast and being vague about things? How the hell do you connect all of those characters stories and make it work on the big screen? Because a script on paper is one thing, bringing it to life is a completely different thing.

I just have a lot of questions about, well, everything. I'm naturally a very curious person. Uncle Rob knew the answers to some of those questions because his wife, Susan, is a producer. For the others, he had a basic idea as to how it worked from his own observation, but there were some questions would require answers straight from the source.

I knew he was sick of my questions by now. I've basically been asking him questions since the first Iron Man came out. I was a wide-eyed, 11-year-old who wanted to know everything and anything about the superhero and who better to ask than the actor behind the character?

He's been listening to my questions for nearly 10 years, so he was probably sick of them. He's made lighthearted a comment or two whenever I asked him a question about it. Or a question in general at this point.

"Uncle Rob, I have a question."

"Oh lord, what is it this time?"

Is how it'd usually go, with an exaggerated eye-roll and his head being thrown back.

When I brought this topic up over lunch - we'd have lunch at least once a week when our schedules allowed it - we're pretty close. I wasn't suggesting by any means that I actually will be behind the scenes during the movie, I was just using Infinity War as an example and he just so happened to be leaving to film soon.

However, when the opportunity fell into my lap, I just couldn't turn it down.

It was February of 2017, just a few weeks before he started filming when we were talking about it.

"Why don't you come on set of Infinity War and learn the way things work behind the scenes in person, get your questions answered. It's all really fascinating really," he suggested, cutting into his steak and taking a bite.

He and I are a lot alike, our brains worked similarly, hence the reason we're so close. Most of my family doesn't understand me the way he does, including my siblings and my father. My mom, however, knows me like that back of her hand. Same with him. She'd grown up with him her entire life, so she understands both of us pretty well.

I raised my brows. "Isn't it, like, a closed set? Super-secretive stuff happening? I mean, they didn't even give you a full script, you think they'll let me snoop around on set?" I asked, raising a good question. Why would they just have a random person on set visiting? It didn't seem likely.

There were times I've visited him on set in the past, sure, but that was for Iron Man. They're a little more tight-lipped about Avengers films.

"Not if you were my assistant," he said simply.

"Don't you have like 4 assistants already?" I asked, raising my brows even more. It was true. He had an assistant for like, everything.

"I could always use another. Besides, you're my niece, they'll let you backstage. No questions. There are perks about being a Downey, Rhia." he reminded me, as he always did.

I rolled my eyes with a scoff, only because I've heard him say this a million times. I wanted to tell him that "technically, I'm not even a full Downey". That my mother is his sister and my father's last name is Kemp, but my mother insisted on keeping her last name so it's "Downey-Kemp" on my birth certificate. When I became an actor, I decided to ditch the "Kemp" (after some persuasion from him I might add). That, and I don't really like having the last name of an absentee father, it doesn't make much sense, does it? "Yes, uncle Rob, you say that all the time."

"It's true," he laughed, taking a sip of his Pepsi. Which, in my opinion, is gross. I'd asked for a coke and they said they only had Pepsi, so root beer it was for me. "You know that."

I shook my head, unable to hide a small chuckle. "That aside..." I began. "That'd be awesome to come along. I mean, you've brought me to set on Iron Man and I was like a kid in a candy store-"

"I remember that very well, you wouldn't stop touching my suit. You wanted to try it on, but they wouldn't let you." he laughed.

"Well, I was also 15 and couldn't fit. And it smelt terrible." I said, pulling a distasteful face as I remembered the smell. It was a mixture of sweat, metal, and his weird cologne.

"Hey, I had to be in that suit for 10 hours a day, it's not going to smell like a new car." he retorted.

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway... it would help keep me busy. I've been auditioning for roles but haven't had much luck recently. Ups and downs of being an actor." I sighed.

Robert nodded, seeming to understand where I was coming from. He's had the same luck in the past, especially in the early days of his career. "It's settled then," he said, taking another bite of his steak. "I'll just let Marvel know." he said as he chewed his food.

I nodded, feeling a sudden wave of nervousness overcome my body. My stomach dropped and I was a little nauseous and I could feel my palms getting a little sweaty. I mean, this was beyond exciting, but a little nerve-wracking. This is freaking Marvel we're talking about. It's Avengers - Infinity War to be exact.

My mind couldn't help but drift off to what I'd be doing there as I ate my Mediterranean salad. Then, I thought about what being Robert Downey Jr's assistant could entail. My excitement and face froze for a second. Oh god.

"I don't have to, like, give you foot massages... right?" I asked hesitantly.

"Oh, no. I've already got a masseuse on call that can do that for me," he said, running a napkin over the corners of his mouth.

"Thank god," I sighed.

"Oh please, giving me a foot massage would be the highlight of your life." he sassed.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Oh yeah, totally. Please, let me give you a foot massage. I'm begging you." I said, totally unenthusiastically as I took another bite of my salad. Robert just grinned at me and asked the waiter for the check.

So, that's how it happened. That's why I'm now pulling up to Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld, Scotland on Friday, March 3rd - not even a month later. I've never been to Scotland before, so that alone was exciting as hell and unreal, let alone the fact that I'm about to step on the set of Avengers: Infinity War in about 10 minutes.

This is a dream come true.