Henry Cavill. The Man of Steel. The White Wolf. And before the end of 2020, Sherlock Holmes. He’s a man of talent, style and beautifully geeky interests. So no matter how you know him, it’s time to wish him a happy birthday and take a look at what made him the man he is today.
Forging the Man of Steel
Henry Cavill is originally from the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands, a beautiful place by anyone’s standards (and the source of some seriously fantastic fudge, if you’re into that). Kicking off his movie career with Laguna (2001) and the Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Henry Cavill has played a wide variety of roles since, spanning both television and film. Some of you may have first known him from his role as the Duke of Suffolk in the series The Tudors, from 2007-2010. I, however, first saw him in Tristan & Isolde in 2006. Little did I know he would soon become such a huge inspiration to me and many others. My next encounter with Henry Cavill was in 2011 when he played Theseus in Immortals, a fantastic movie I’ve watched on multiple occasions – I might even watch it again when I finish writing this.
Finally, we come to the Man of Steel. Released in 2013, Henry Cavill humbly took up the role of Superman, clashing head to head with General Zod. I remember it fondly. Sitting in the cinema with my brother, staring in awe during the oil rig scene as a single man bears the entire weight of a rig tower above him. A statement to the raw, awesome power of the Man of Steel.
The White Wolf Comes
As an avid player of the Witcher 3 game, as soon as Henry Cavill got wind of the plan for a series, his sights were set. Checking up with his agents daily, he made no effort to hide his drive to be Geralt of Rivia. Unsurprisingly, he landed the role and the show premiered in December 2019, much to the delight of pretty much everyone, everywhere.
Okay, I might be a bit biassed there but if you haven’t seen it then I wholeheartedly recommend it. Henry Cavill is perfectly suited to the role and is absolutely at home as the Witcher. As a keen follower of the fantasy genre since childhood, he was always destined to give it his all on set and it really shows. Personally, my favourite part about the whole thing is knowing that the entire time he was filming, he was living his dream. It makes me immensely happy to see Henry Cavill revel in actually being Geralt.
“I wear my geek on my sleeve these days”
Yep. That’s a quote from the man himself. It was probably just an honest remark in his mind but to me it means an awful lot. As someone who’s shunned their geeky interests in the past to fit in, it’s inspiring to me to know that Henry Cavill is just out there being himself, bringing his dreams to life. So, if any of you need a little push to believe in yourselves, there it is. Straight from the Witcher’s mouth. The things you enjoy, the things that make you happy, can be more than just a dream.
So if you’re feeling a little lost during lockdown, embrace your inner geek. Write, act, create, or just play a game. If you’re after a recommendation, I have it on good authority that Henry Cavill would recommend The Witcher 3. If that’s not quite your thing then he’s also a fan of the Total War franchise and World of Warcraft (currently playing WoW Classic).
Rest assured, it won’t be long before Cavill is back on our screens. The release of Enola Holmes is scheduled for 2020 and he’ll be playing the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. I sincerely look forward to it. The game is afoot.
Henry Cavill is an avid supporter of both the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and The Royal Marines Charity, please check them out and do what you can to support their good work!
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Happy Birthday Henry Cavill!
what a nice way to celebrate a celebrity birthday
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