Henry Cavill: 8 Surprising Fun Facts You Might Not Know
Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill, better known to fans as simply Henry Cavill, is so much more than a handsome face. He’s got substance, smarts, and a whole lot of nerdiness.
Cavill was born on the Jersey Channel Island but rose to international fame as Superman in Man of Steel.
But what does star Henry Cavill do when he’s not on set? Let’s talk about 8 surprising facts you may not know about the Enola Holmes star.
1. Henry Cavill Is a Giant Nerd Who Would Rather Not Be Famous
While he loves acting, Cavill doesn’t enjoy the downsides of fame. He’d much rather be home losing himself in a video game.
He says, “Every time I step out my front door, I’m hyper-aware. Even if I’m not looking terrible, you still realise there are people taking sneaky photos of you, because that’s what people like to do. And then they put them on the internet and you see them on Instagram and you’re like, ‘Oh, my god…At home, I get to sit playing games for ridiculous amounts of hours and escape there, because going outside has the opposite effect.”
It turns out he isn’t so different from the fanbase of his movies like Man of Steel and shows like The Witcher.
2. Henry Cavill Missed the Call that He Was Superman Because He Was Playing World of Warcraft
Yep. You read that right.
Henry Cavill could not pick up the phone when Zach Snyder (Justice League) called to inform him he was playing one of the most iconic characters of all time. He was too busy playing World of Warcraft.
On Conan O’Brien, Cavill joked that once he realized who was on the phone, he called back immediately. He joked that he told Snyder that he was busy saving someone’s life and that was the only reason he could not come to the phone right away.
In continuing with his sense of humor, he donned a disguise to surprise the cast of Suicide Squad at the San Diego Comic-Con.
3. Henry Cavill Met Russell Crowe 11 Years Before He Became Famous
Did you know that before Russell Crowe played Jor-El, Superman’s dad, in Man of Steel, he met young Cavill 11 years earlier?
Russell Crowe was filming Proof of Life in the area of Cavill’s boarding school. Cavill, wanting to become an actor, was cast as an extra on the show. Kids at school bullied Cavill, making fun of his weight and calling him “Fat Cavill.” It was a difficult time for him and it clearly still impacts him to this day.He went up to Crowe and asked what it was like to be an actor. They had a short conversation, and later on, Crowe signed and sent a photo of himself in Gladiator with the message “A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” Two years after Proof of Life came out, Cavill got his first feature in The Count of Monte Cristo as Albert Mondego.
Crowe remembered Cavill 11 years later when they met on set for Man of Steel. So how old is Henry Cavill? Young enough to be inspired by Russell Crowe as a child.
4. Henry Cavill Was Almost James Bond, Instead of Daniel Craig
Henry Cavill has had multiple misfires in his career where he almost got life-changing roles but lost them out to other actors. Twice, he lost roles to Robert Pattinson. Fans wanted to see him as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Stephanie Meyes, author of Twilight, called Cavill her “perfect Edward.” However, by the time they started production, he was too old. It once again went to Robert Pattinson.
Perhaps most surprisingly, he was the final choice to play the infamous James Bond in Casino Royale. At the last minute, the producers decided to go with an older Bond and cast Daniel Craig instead.
However, there’s still hope that he will play the famous Brit. Fans are heavily campaigning to see him in the role, and a recent ad might just hint that it’s in the works. In an ad for No. 1 Botanicals, we see him walk right past an Aston Martin DB5. He looks at the vehicle and says “Life will always have its sweet temptations.”
Considering the Aston Martin has been the iconic car choice for James Bond since Sean Connery played the role, fans can’t help but think it’s an Easter egg.
5. Henry Cavill Tries to Bring the Original Lore to the Witcher
Sometimes, actors will clock in, do their part, and clock out. But not Henry Cavill.
Cavill was drawn to the role of Geralt of Rivia when he encountered the character playing The Witcher 3. He really enjoyed the video game, but when he stumbled onto the books, he discovered he “absolutely loved them.”
He met the creator of the show, Lauren Schmidy Hissrich, to let her know he was interested in being involved. Since he’s assumed the role of the monster-hunting Witcher, Henry Cavill’s been active in the shaping of the show. He pushes the creators to include more of Geralt’s signs (magic spells), even though it costs a lot to do the CGI. Cavill thinks it’s essential to the development of the character that he fell in love with.
6. Henry Cavill Built His Own PC
In addition to being a huge nerd about online gaming, he challenged himself to build his own PC. He documented the experience for us to enjoy on his Instagram.
7. Henry Cavill Paints Video Game Miniatures
Cavill is such a huge fan of the game Warhammer that he paints his own miniature figurines.
He nerded out at Warhammer World and waxed prolific about the lore and artistry. On the game, he said “the artistry involved and the synergy between miniature designs that are so enormously diverse, is extraordinary. The brilliance of the artistry is rather wonderfully matched, by the sense of community and also the passion that is shown by both the people who work there and the people who visit. I don’t often feel at home, but I did that day.”
8. Henry Cavill Has a Girlfriend
Well, we lied. This one isn’t exactly surprising.
I mean…just look at him. And once you realize that he’s an intelligent man with a passion for his nerdy interests, he becomes infinitely more endearing.
So who is Henry Cavill dating?
Natalie Viscuso dipped her toes into fame when she appeared on My Super Sweet 16 on MTV. Since then, she’s made a name for herself as a Hollywood executive. At one point, she was the video president of TV and digital studios at Legendary Entertainment: the same company that helped create Man of Steel and Enola Holmes.
She now reportedly works for Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment as the Vice Preside of TV.
Perhaps most importantly, she’s the dog mom to an unspeakably adorable French Bulldog named Meat.
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