Digging holes, it builds character. Remember the 2003 movie Holes — based on the book of the same name by Louis Sachar — starring Shia LaBeouf? Well, we’re here to tell you that the movie is still just as good all these years later.

The flick followed the story of a teenager named Stanley Yelnats who was wrongfully convicted of stealing a pair of shoes and is sent away to a juvenile detention camp where the inmates dig holes all day. At first, no one knows why they’re digging holes, but it’s eventually revealed that the warden is looking for a treasure buried in the desert. While at the camp, Stanley uncovered family secrets revealing that the treasure he’s digging for, ultimately, belongs to him.

Just as much as fans still love the movie, actor Khleo Thomas — who played Zero in the film — will never stop talking about it!

“As an actor, I think a lot of people wish to have one role on their resume that [audiences] can forever resonate with,” he told Bustle in August 2021. “You’ve got someone like Harrison Ford who, no matter what, is Indiana Jones or Han Solo. You’ve got Daniel Radcliffe who, no matter what, is Harry Potter. I love that I can embrace the fact that the name Zero will be tied to my name for the rest of my life.”

Thanks to the current TikTok culture, the movie has continued to gain popularity — more than 15 years after its premiere — which is something Khleo explained is “forever iconic.”

“It’s telling that it doesn’t get boring, it doesn’t get old,” he told Bustle of the throwback flick. “You can put that movie on in front of the newer generation, like Gen Zers or anyone younger, and they’re going to feel the exact same way we felt watching it. It’s just one of those gems.”

The Roll Bounce star added, TikTok has for sure breathed some new life into it, and I hope they continue to do it … When I was growing up, I would have loved to be able to hit Keanu Reeves on Twitter when The Matrix came out. So when someone posts something on TikTok related to [the movie], I’m happy to embrace it and engage with it, because that’s giving them that memory that I wish I had in my time.”

Scroll through our gallery to see what the cast of Holes is up to now. 

Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.