On screen, Henry Cavill makes his mark with roles as romantic and gallant men or heroes who fight evil. In real life, he is a man with many interesting stories.
Once bullied: In 2019, Henry Cavill shared with Men’s Health that he was bullied by students at boarding school because of his chubby appearance. Thanks to actively playing sports, he lost weight and got a balanced body. Henry Cavill also gradually built up his confidence in front of a crowd thanks to extracurricular activities at the drama club. Photo: Celebuzz.
Dream of becoming a historian: In an interview with SFGate, Cavill shared that he dreamed of pursuing a career in ancient history after reading Christian Jacq’s Egyptology-based fantasy novels. The actor planned to study history and then join the military. Photo: IMDb.
Animal rights activist: In 2014, Henry Cavill became an ambassador for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Fund. “Their principles are the same things I pursue and think deserve more attention,” the actor told the press. Cavill has visited 50 of the organization’s nature reserves around the world and regularly participates in the Durrell Challenge fundraising run. He also adopted a bat named Bat. Photo: Durrell.
Fear of flying: In January 2015, TMZ shared a video of Cavill getting off a plane with his service dog. In July 2015, he revealed to Good Morning Britain: “I always take my dog with me when I fly to make the journey go more smoothly.” The dog in the TMZ video is Kal, Cavill’s pet Akita. Kal appeared with his owner in a 2018 fashion shoot for Men’s Journal, where the actor showered him with charming words. Photo: Instagram.
Almost became Superman in the 2000s: In 2002, director J.J. Abrams sent Warner Bros. a movie script called Superman: Flyby. Henry Cavill was considered for the lead role, even trying on the Superman suit. However, the project fell through at the last minute and Warner Bros. replaced him with Superman Returns (2006) – with Brandon Routh taking on the superhero cape. Photo: Warner Bros.
Gamer: In a 2019 interview with GQ magazine, Henry Cavill shared his passion for video games: “At home, I can sit for hours playing games. I immerse myself in it and temporarily disconnect from the outside world.” He once confessed on Conan O’Brien’s show that because he was so busy playing World of Warcraft, he missed the call from Zack Snyder announcing that he had won the role of Superman in Man of Steel. Photo: Elle.
Struggling with an American accent: Despite playing many American characters on screen, Henry Cavill still cannot speak fluently in an American accent. In a 2011 interview with Total Film, the British actor admitted: “Speaking with an American accent is like working out with my vocal cords. Sometimes I speak with an American accent very fluently, but there are also days on set when I stumble the moment I open my mouth.” Photo: IMDb.
Missed out on big roles: In a 2013 interview with ABC News, Cavill shared that he auditioned for the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but failed. Next, Twilight author Stephanie Meyer put him at the top of her shortlist to play Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of the same name. To compete for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale, Cavill turned down the role in 300. But he was defeated by Daniel Craig. Cavill was rejected because he was too old to play Cullen, but he missed out on 007 because he was too young.
