This article is the first in a new series we’ll be running on The Daily Quirk called What’s the big deal about…where we highlight a topic that is on the tip of everyone’s tongues and clue you in on why it’s such a big deal right now. For our first feature, we have chosen Henry Cavill, an actor who is getting as much press for a movie he has not been cast in yet for one he is starring in next year. But why? There are the obvious reasons like his dashing looks, acting skills, and for many of us american girls that accent, but there are lots of handsome talented men out there, so what is about Henry Cavill that sets him apart from the rest? I will do my best to break it down for you in this addition of What’s the big deal about…
So exactly who is Henry Cavill? He was born in Jersey, no not New Jersey, but a British Crown Dependency in the Channel Islands just off the coast of France on May 5, 1983. He grew up the fourth of five boys in a fairly average family, his mother was a secretary and his father a stockbroker, and lived there till he went to Stowe School, a boarding school in Buckinghamshire, England, at age thirteen. It was there that the drama bug seriously bit him (although the school is not specifically for acting) and he began taking part in the school’s productions of Shakespeare.
At 17, he was “discovered” at Stowe when casting directors for The Count of Monte Cristo visited the school looking for a boy to play the role of Albert Mondego in the film. From there, Cavill took on minor roles in many film and television projects before landing the role he is probably most famous for to date, Charles Brandon in the Showtime Series The Tudors.
Besides being famous for The Tudors, Cavill has also received some notoriety for being “The Unluckiest Man in Hollywood” after Empire Magazine crowned him with the moniker in it’s December 2005 as a result of all the roles he was considered for, but did not receive. In fact, Cavill was considered for and/or came close to getting roles that other actors have become famous for playing. Stephanie Meyer originally suggested Cavill for the role of Edward Cullen, but by the time the movie was in production, it was decided he was too old to play the part and Robert Pattinson was eventually cast. And it was not the first time he missed out on a role Pattinson would play. There was a write in campaign by fans asking that Cavill be cast a Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire another role Pattison received. If things had gone differently for another role, all the Skyfall adverts you see now would have Cavill’s face on them instead of Daniel Craig. When the role of James Bond in the recent movies was up for grabs, it came down to Cavill and Craig for the part with Craig eventually winning out. Many suggest it was age again that was Cavill’s downfall, with him being significantly younger than any of the previous Bonds. And as far as the role of Superman goes, the second time is a charm for Cavill, who will be staring in Superman: Man of Steel in 2013. He was all set to hit the big screen as the man of steel in 2004 until director Joseph McGinty Nichol pulled out of the film. The film’s replacement director, Bryan Singer, decided to recast the role making Brandon Routh Superman (wonder if Singer is kicking himself for that one).
Cavill might just be lucky he missed out on some of those roles, as his career continues to pick up steam without the tarnish of flops or association with any previous franchises. He recently starred in Woody Allen’s Whatever Works, The Immortals, and The Cold Light of Day all to rave reviews of his performances. And he has some big films in the works too.
