Henry Cavill Looks Back at His Most Memorable Roles, From Superman to ‘Mission Impossible,’ ‘Witcher’ and More

His Life Could Have Gone Very Differently

Born Henry William Dalgiesh Cavill on May 5, 1983 in Saint Helier, Jersey in England, the fourth of five boys, Henry could have very easily found himself living a life in the military instead of acting. “My eldest brother is ex-army,” he explains. “My second oldest brother is a major in the Royal Marines, so it’s in the family. My dad did a stint in the Navy as well. I went a different way, and it doesn’t matter what the career is, your brothers are going to make fun of the other person. So I’m the soft actor who’s never worked a day in his life and that sort of thing. Then they come to the set and see the kind of work I do and they change their minds maybe.

“But we’re all proud of each other,” he adds, “and would be even if I was working doing something else and passed an exam to get there, or got a promotion. We’re family first and we’re just exceptionally proud and happy that we’re doing the things we want to do in life. Of course, the benefit of my doing what I’m doing is that they probably get more expensive presents at Christmas.”

‘Tristan & Isolde’ (2006)

As is pretty much the norm, Henry’s acting career began with several supporting roles in small films, among them Laguna (2001), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), I Capture the Castle (2003), Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005) and Tristan & Isolde (2006), the latter about an affair between the second in line to Britain’s throne (James Franco) and the princess of the feuding Irish (Sophia Myles) that spells doom for the young lovers. In the film Henry plays Tristan’s friend, Melot. This would lead to several more supporting roles.

‘Red Riding Hood’ (2006)

In this musical, we follow a young girl (Morgan Thompson) as she encounters a Big Bad Wolf (Joey Fatone) while traveling to her grandmother’s (Lainie Kazan) house in the woods. Henry is cast as The Hunter.

‘Stardust’ (2007)

In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he’ll retrieve a fallen star himself by venturing into the magical realm. It’s a small part, but Henry plays the role of a wizard named Humphrey.

‘The Tudors’ (Showtime TV Series, 2007-10)

For Henry, things began to feel like they were falling into place by the time he was cast on this Showtime drama — on which he plays Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and which focuses on the early years of King Henry VIII’s nearly 40-year reign (1509-1547) of England. Before signing up for it, though, he had grown increasingly frustrated with the types of roles he was getting. The thing that gave him hope was being seriously considered for the role of Superman in an early attempt at a film of the Man of Steel that would eventually become 2006’s Superman Returns (with Brandon Routh); as well as James Bond (a role which eventually went to Daniel Craig for 2006’s Casino Royale).

“My feeling,” he explains, “was that if these people who had been doing this for years noticed something in me and said, ‘OK, we’re willing to put him and another guy up for the role and that’s it,’ then there’s got to be something there that they’re seeing. That was certainly a real confidence booster. Although it wasn’t anything of material value and acting is a very intangible skill; you never know when it’s going to happen or if it’s going to happen. It’s not like doing many repetitions of an exercise where once you’ve done it, you know you can do it. Acting is different in that you don’t know if it’s going to happen as well or as powerfully or as strongly as it’s happened in the past. So when you hear people like that say, ‘Yes, you’ve got something which is very special’ — they may not say it directly, but in their actions in putting you up next to the last two guys, that in itself is the medal. It’s a Silver Medal. It’s not the Gold Medal, which is getting the role, but it’s still a medal that makes you want to work that much harder and go for the gold.”

‘Whatever Works’ (2009)

A middle-aged, misanthropic divorcée from New York City (Larry David) surprisingly enters a fulfilling, Pygmalion-type relationship with a much younger, unsophisticated Southern girl (Evan Rachel Wood). Henry is still in supporting mode as Randy Lee James, but the film is directed by Woody Allen and the actor continued to feel the buzz of being this close to having been cast as 007 a few years earlier.

“When the Superman thing happened,” he elaborates on his earlier point, “that kind of kept me going for a while and then things would be tough and tough and tough. Just before the Bond screen test happened, I was very close to throwing in the towel, but that kept me in the industry. I thought, ‘OK, there is a reason to stick around; I’m not just wasting my time here.’ If you believe in yourself, just by pure probability something’s bound to happen and, sure enough, The Tudors happened.”

‘Blood Creek’ (2009)

Admittedly there were still a few bumps along the way but, thanks to The Tudors, things weren’t as dire for Henry as they could have been. In Blood Creek, a man and his brother go on a mission of revenge only to become trapped in a harrowing occult experiment dating back to the Third Reich. This one saw him starring alongside future X-Men star Michael Fassbender.

‘Immortals’ (2011)

This is probably the film where things really began to turn around for Henry. In it, he plays Theseus, a mortal man chosen by Zeus (Luke Evans) to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

Between Immortals and, of course, him donning Superman’s tights and cape, one wonders if Greek mythology and comic books were a part of his life growing up. “I’ve always loved reading historical fiction,” Henry reveals. “I remember a book when I was a very young boy, which was all about Greek mythology — it was a collection of short stories. I loved reading those and looking at the pictures. That sort of world — Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome — and the tales of warriors and battles and warlords and conquerors and empires … all of that, I loved it! Although there was no dedicated study in any one direction, i loved the worlds and those stories, and to play them now is incredibly exciting. It’s the kind of thing that I’ve always wanted to do, so I’m a very happy camper right now.”

‘The Cold Light of Day’ (2012)

After a young Wall Street trader’s (Henry) family is kidnapped during their sailing trip in Spain, he is confronted by the people responsible: intelligence agents looking to recover a mysterious briefcase. In this one, Henry gets to co-star with Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver.

‘Man of Steel’ (2013)

Henry brings the dual role of Clark Kent and Superman to life, though this Man of Steel is considerably more angst-ridden than previous versions — absolutely representing the vision of director Zack Snyder. For the actor, this role in particular tapped into a love for larger-than-life characters.

“I had a very bold imagination growing up and still do,” he laughs. “I have never set limits on myself, although obviously with these particular roles there was no one thing where I said, ‘I want to play that, I want to play this.’ I just wanted to go for the very big things. From the very beginning I didn’t want to settle for small stuff; I wanted to aim high and go down in a blaze of glory if I didn’t make it and try something else. But it’s paid off so far and I’m enjoying it. Everything’s an experience and a journey and an adventure, and if you’re not enjoying it, what’s the point? So far it’s been great. Sure, it’s been terrible at points as well, but I’ve tried to take everything I could from those terrible, difficult moments I’ve had and it’s all part of the journey.” Sound positively Superman-like.

‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)

He may not have gotten the chance to play James Bond (though there are a lot of people out there still hoping that when Daniel Craig steps down, he’ll step in), but Henry definitive got into the spy game in this big screen version of the ’60s TV series. Set in the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry) and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.

‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)

Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman (Ben Affleck) takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs. Zack Snyder’s dark, gritty take on the DC universe continues in this film, as the two iconic heroes go into battle against each other.

Whatever his thoughts on the films themselves — he’s described this one as “fairly niche” — portraying Superman has required not only a physical transformation, but in some ways an emotional one for him as well. “The mindset when you change your body physically, and your ability physically, is more self-belief,” Henry says. “There is more of a security in yourself. It’s quite a unique feeling when you have a moment and you’re rested and you’re not exhausted and everything else, where you think, ‘I can do this stuff; I’m probably in the Top 10 of physically fit people in this room,’ and that’s a very good feeling. Of course, someone like me I always keep myself in check, because it means I’m going to continue to push hard. I never allow myself to spread into an arrogance, because that, I believe, and there are people who say otherwise, will hold me back as opposed to help me advance. When it comes to playing a role like Superman, it does help an awful lot, because the environment around you behaves different. The people perceive you differently, and that helps you be the character which you’re trying to be. We are indeed a product of those around us, because we often behave in response to the way we’re treated. When people are looking at you in that sort of way and going, ‘Whoa! He looks kind of dangerous,’ or ‘That guy looks like he can protect me,’ it gives you that extra bit of something that helps you play a character in a more realistic, effective way.”

‘Sand Castle’ (2017)

The story follows a young soldier who is introduced into the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Based on true events, it bears witness to the destruction and horrors of war. In an interview with henycavill.org, writer Chris Roessner said of Henry’s character, “Syverson is a Special Forces team leader who exists as a character foil to our main platoon. Syverson’s business is war. He is not ‘passing through’ so to speak, like some of the other characters. There is no talk of ‘going home’ or what dreams lie ahead for him. Iraq is where he belongs, he’s been there a while, and he takes the job very seriously. One assumes that after the film ends Syverson would be shipped off somewhere else — Afghanistan, Somalia, etc. — to solve the same problems. He is smart, tough, the embodiment of human potential operating at its fullest.”

“I know I speak for the Sand Castle team when I say we were all overjoyed to hear Henry wanted to play Syverson,” he adds. “I’d known that his brother was/is a Royal Marine and I’d heard through the grapevine that Henry takes portraying the military very seriously. Obviously, that serious attitude was shared by all of us. No one was interested in being cartoonish, or displaying chest-beating masculinity without nuance. Henry had the same outlook and that made it a perfect fit. He felt the responsibility that we all felt and we were lucky to have him.”

‘Justice League’ (2017)

Fueled by a restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his new-found ally, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), to face an even greater enemy. Needless to say, despite the Man of Steel’s death at the end of Batman v Superman at the hands of Doomsday, he’s resurrected here and probably comes closest to the idealized version of the character that Henry has gotten to play to date.

“Superman genuinely represents hope,” enthuses Henry. “And struggle in the face of adversity as opposed to rolling over and giving up. Really facing up to seemingly insurmountable odds and, hopefully, winning. That’s the point: the hope that one will win as opposed to turning one’s back on hope and giving up. or become the thing we initially disliked or felt strongly about. That’s his place in this world, it’s genuinely the representation of hope. He is the shining light. But what makes it interesting is that he’s still susceptible to human emotions, so that adds a realism to it and a way of associating and feeling a part of this character. Of getting inside his head, which I think was necessary as opposed to this very separate thing. He is both a part of Earth and so very much apart from Earth. That’s what makes him fascinating.”

‘Mission Impossible: Fallout’ (2018)

In the sixth installment in the action franchise, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong (what else is new?). In it, Henry plays agent August Walker who is not what he appears to be. “August may have had humankind’s best interest at heart, but he was an extremist,” Henry explains. “He was fundamentally flawed in that. Had he and Ethan actually worked together, you never know what could have been achieved. His arc in the film actually changed a lot. His mission was ultimately a failure, but his arc in the writing process had him have to adjust. In story, it was to take his minor mission failures throughout and try and turn them into results, while being handicapped by Solomon Lane’s agenda. Had it just been under Walker’s rules, he may have succeeded. However, as we all know, his arc ended as a stain on a rock.”

A genuine highlight of the experience for him was working with Tom and filming the movie’s high-octane action sequences. “What’s unique about the action in every MI movie?” he asks rhetorically. “It ups the ante. We do things in this movie that have been been done before on screen. The things that Tom and I went through were both extremely exciting and excitingly dangerous. There was some discomfort, too, I have to say. Tom is fascinating to watch and interact with on set. His mind is constantly living in both performance and producing, even in the middle of a take. It clearly makes for a better movie, but is an incredibly difficult space to exist within for a performer or producer, in my opinion. It’s a space, however, that Tom seemingly exists within effortlessly.”

‘Nomis’ (2018)

A weathered Lieutenant, his police force, and a local vigilante are all caught up in a dangerous scheme involving a recently arrested, troubled man who’s linked to years of female abductions and murders. Henrycavill.org spoke to the film’s director, David Raymond, who said of him, “Henry’s playing a character whose emotional journey is all about what he’s not saying. He’s put himself in self-imposed emotional isolation, so there’s an inner turmoil happening which is preventing him from being the man he knows he should be. I’ve always felt Henry is one of those rare actors who can say so much without saying anything. There’s an intensity there that’s undeniable. It’s just a question of freeing him up. I think what he’s done with Marshall is remarkable.”

Next up for Henry, look for him to star in the Netflix series Witcher, based on the fantasy book series and video game of the same name.

‘Witcher’ (2019)

Coming some time this year is Witcher, the Netflix series based on a series of books written by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, and later adapted into a series of popular video games. The streaming service describes the show as follows: “The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.”

‘Enola Holmes’ (2020)

Forget Lois Lane, Henry’s next leading lady is going to be Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown as his sister in the film Enola Holmes, based on the book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer. For his part, Henry will be taking on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, while Millie will play his younger sister, Enola.

As to the creation of the character, Nancy Springer tells goodreads.com, “My editor was responsible, in an indirect way. I had been working with this editor for years, doing the Camelot books and the Rowan Hood series with him, and I knew he had an uncanny sense for marketing. So I paid attention when he phoned me and told me he wanted something set in deepest, darkest London at the time of Jack the Ripper. I wanted to say, ‘Whaaaat? Jack the Ripper?’ — and I’d never written historical, but I kept my mouth closed and gave the matter some thought. My childhood love of King Arthur had led me to write I Am Mordred and I Am Morgan Le Fay. My childhood love of Robin Hood had led me to create Rowan Hood, Robin Hood’s daughter. By any chance, had there been something set in the late nineteenth century?  Elementary, my dear Watson. Sherlock Holmes. I couldn’t give him a daughter; that would have been scandalous, but I created a younger sister for him, named her Enola (a name that had fascinated me for years) and all else followed.”