HENRY CAVILL: The WITCHER's Thorny Path - A Documentary | Life Story

He went from "fat Cavill" to Geralt of Rivia, and from Albert Mondego to Napoleon Solo.  Why was he called Hollywood's greatest loser?  How did he land a role through Instagram and what did Russell Crowe have to do with it?  Henry Cavill is the hero of our new Okolo Kino episode.

This new Kolo Kino podcast is dedicated to the charming actor who set out to conquer Hollywood just 15 years ago. Despite this short – by Hollywood standards – career, Henry has managed to work with dozens, if not hundreds, of the greatest minds in cinema.  He is gaining ground and will soon take a bold new step.  We will gladly tell you about his achievements, shortcomings, and stratospheric career advancement.
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Transcript

Near the shores of France, there nestled in the English Channel was the little island of Jersey, where it was the 5th of May 1983, an ordinary spring day. But not for the marine Colin Cavill and his wife Marianne who were celebrating the birth of their fourth son, Henry. His brothers Nick, Piers, and Simon were much older. Henry wasn’t very interested in the company of his brothers and spent most of his time with his mother. But in 1986 the family welcomed a new baby and Chuck (that’s what they named the fifth brother) was immediately taken under three-year-old Henry’s wing and became his best friend. 

The boys were raised in spartan conditions. Despite the fact that their father left the navy and became a stockbroker, the military drills and strict discipline left an imprint on the sons. The older brothers were getting ready for military school and expected the younger to follow suit. To their parent’s surprise, as soon as he started school Henry joined a theater club, and for the next 6 years, all he could think about was the stage. However, the calm island life and rare plays got boring and Henry convinced his parents to send him to boarding school in Stowe. 

HENRY CAVILL

“Boarding school was as rough as it can be but it was a wonderful, fantastic education, which really prepped me for my acting career. You've got to have a lot of self-discipline and not get down on yourself. School gave me that preparation of being away from home and having no immediate support base.”

In the beginning, Henry found it difficult. His transfer went through in the middle of the school year, and thirteen-year-old boys are not the most welcoming so they greeted the newbie with typical teen cruelty. It also didn’t help that he was plump which led to the nickname Fat Henry. But this didn’t break the boy, instead, he signed up for cricket, field hockey, and rugby which helped him become more popular by the end of the year despite the fact that he didn’t neglect his love for theater.  

HENRY CAVILL

“I wasn't leaping around in leotards or being moody and poetic. I was playing rugby and hockey, and I had signed up for school military.” 

As an upperclassman, Henry got into Egyptology and wanted to dedicate his university years to its study, and then follow his brothers into Her Majesty’s Service. But the fate of the sixteen-year-old youth was drastically changed by an accidental meeting. In the spring of 2000 Stowe school was visited by the Proof of Life film crew. The scene was shot on the football field and they used real upperclassmen as extras, including Cavill. They held auditions for him and his classmates for the role of Russel Crowe’s son, but Henry was unlucky. Ironically, according to the script, the boy who got the role (Merlin Hanbury-Tenison) was called (RC: hey Henry). And though it’s barely noticeable, Cavill’s film debut was happening in the background. Between scenes, Russell was impressed by the bravest of the boys who mustered up the courage and walked up to the star. Instead of asking for an autograph, Henry asked Crowe, “What’s it like to be an actor?” to which Russell replied, “It pays good, but they treat you like shit.” However, that was not the end of the story, a few days later Cavill received a parcel. 

[excerpt from BBC America]

An amusing incident and a cordial meeting, nothing more. But twenty years later the note would turn out to be prophetic, when on another set a thousand miles from Stowe, Henry would play Russell’s son after all. But to get there the young man would have to take more than one step. A year after meeting Russell, Henry’s school was visited by filmmakers again. This time the creators of the film Count of Monte Cristo held open auditions among the upperclassmen for the role of the handsome Albert Mondego. The casting director took an instant liking to Cavill, but he worried that the boy was too overweight. But sensing a chance to be in a real movie, the young actor was not about to let it go. The contract stated that Henry had to lose 20 pounds in two months and he immediately agreed. Thanks to exercise, Cavill received his first role in a film.   

The screen adaptation of Alexander Dumas’ novel gave Henry not only a debut but work experience with top actors in the profession. Director Kevin Reynolds was famous thanks to Robin Hood and Waterworld. And on set Cavill played opposite Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and Luis Guzman. This experience paved the way for dozens of auditions and he set off to conquer them all. However, the release of Monte Cristo was delayed for a year. The director believed the grass in the final scene to be too yellow and wanted to delay shooting till the next spring. So by the time his first reel came out Henry had already been filmed in another movie. 

The crime thriller Laguna was Henry’s debut in a leading role, and his partner was Emmanuelle Seigner, Roman Polanski’s wife. The actress was shocked by the 18-year old’s shyness during the sex scene and had to give him a few drinks so he’d relax. Besides Seigner, the cast contained the star of the third Godfather Joe Mantegna and the singer Charles Aznavour. Unfortunately, the cast couldn’t save the film and the underrated project didn’t bring the young actor any dividends. 

But Henry didn’t give up, and six months later he made his way to California. 

On the 23rd of January 2002, at the El Capitan Theater, The Count of Monte Cristo had its premiere. Over the next two months, the picture made 75 million at the box office and received great reviews, which also contained a few glowing phrases about the charming Albert Mondego. 

Success forced the young man to choose between his family’s military tradition and the film industry, but his mother came to his rescue. Marianne encouraged Henry and insisted that he continue to develop his acting career. The obedient son tackled auditions and over the next two years celebrated victory 5 times.  And while yes, the projects did not compare to his debut, he still treated them very seriously, whether it was cameos in the detective series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Midsomer Murders or the fleeting appearances in the dramas Goodbye Mr. Chips and I Capture the Castle. 

By December of 2003, the actor had expanded his filmography but there were not enough opportunities in Great Britain, and playing small parts in crime dramas or average TV movies was not helping his career. The crowning glory of those times was the role in the eighth installment of Hellraiser where Cavill portrayed a video game junkie. Interestingly, in real life, the actor also spent all his free time playing a game, World of Warcraft. 

At the same time, he pursued roles in the fourth part of the Harry Potter saga, but Robert Pattinson was chosen instead. Again Henry lost to Pattinson in Twilight. The film was in the works in 2004, and the book’s author Stephanie Meyer admitted that when describing Edward Cullen she had Cavill in mind. But by the time casting began, he was already older, and the producers convinced her to go with a younger actor. At the next auditions, Henry was also rejected due to his age. For a long time he was considered to be the main candidate to play the next James Bond, but they thought him too young and chose the more mature Daniel Craig.  

A year of failures and roaming auditions. To break the chain of misfortune Cavill went to Hollywood where he was given the chance to play Batman in the new Christopher Nolan film but even before Christian Bale came to the project, he was replaced by Cillian Murphy. Well, he couldn’t play Bruce Wayne, so he decided to try for the role of Clark Kent. Warner Brothers had been preparing to create a new Superman film for several years. J.J. Abrams wrote the script, and the director’s chair was filled by Brett Ratner who had envisioned Henry playing the lead. The contract was almost drawn up but the studio rejected that version of the project. Mainly because the proposed budget was 250 million dollars. Ratner was then replaced by X-Men’s Bryan Singer who proposed a new script and brought with him a different cast. That was how over two years Henry missed out on 5 different roles. And his failures didn’t go unnoticed, at the end of 2005, “Empire” magazine named Cavill Hollywood’s unluckiest man.

HENRY CAVILL

“At one stage I was like, 'If this next movie doesn't do well then I'm out....” 

But Henry did not give up, and the director who gave the actor his first job came to his rescue. Kevin Reynolds once again decided to adapt a legendary story for the screen. The adventure drama Tristan and Isolde united a myriad of talented actors. Cavill shared the screen with James Franco, Mark Strong, and Rufus Sewell. Despite the fact that the film was doomed, and contributed to the downfall of Franchise Pictures studios as well as the demise of Reynold’s career, for Henry it was the end of a two-year standstill. That same year the actor drew the attention of Randal Kleiser who became famous thanks to Grease and The Blue Lagoon. Kleiser offered Henry one of the main roles in a new interpretation of the Little Red Riding Hood story. But the public didn’t receive the grandmother-yogi, stingy wolf, and little girl in red boots well, so the low-budget reel fell through and received dozens of scathing reviews.

In 2006 when Henry was invited to audition for the historical TV series The Tudors (which tells the story of the rule of Henry the Eighth) the actor was expecting another minor cameo role. But he impressed the creators so much that they offered him the role of Duke Charles Brandon: sleazy heart eater, confidante to the king, and a key character in the plot. So after six years of wandering, his time to shine had finally arrived. The cast was filled with many promising newcomers and besides Cavill, there were Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Natalie Dormer, and Annabelle Wallace. There were also a number of experienced colleagues on set from Sam Neill, to the legendary Max von Sydow and Peter O’Toole. It’s hard to imagine a better acting school. And though in the first season Henry was remembered by audiences for his passionate sex scenes in the second season there were a lot less of those moments. The actor was able to develop his character in such a way that viewers began to love him for his other qualities. But in the beginning, it seemed like the more Cavill took off his clothes on screen, the more popular the series became. 

Excessive sensuality was the main fault according to the critics. The Tudors received mixed reactions; high ratings were countered by humiliating reviews. Despite this, the first season was even nominated for a Golden Globe for best TV Drama. The Tudors were extended to 3 seasons and finished in 2010, with Henry and Jonathan being the only actors to appear in every episode.

But let’s return to three years prior, when the BBC released the first episode and allowed Henry to have some real spotlight. The series was shown in dozens of countries, and the actor finally began to receive invitations to auditions which were more than just wishful thinking. However, working on a big TV project took up a lot of time and in three years Cavill was only able to squeeze in three more movies. 

The first to hit the screen was the fantasy drama Stardust from debuting director Matthew Vaughn who had already garnered some fame from his work with Guy Richie and from his own movie Layer Cake. And though among the star-studded cast Henry was only a minor character he presented himself in an unusual light. The self-absorbed blonde Humphrey allowed him to display his comedic potential. As for Cavill’s fans, they remember Stardust as the first premiere that Cavill attended in the company of someone other than his mother. That was the beginning of the first serious relationship in his life. His girlfriend was makeup artist Susie Redmond whom he had met on the set of The Tudors. 

In 2008 during a break from the TV series, Cavill went to the US where he was cast in yet another minor role. This time he was a charming Brit named Randy in the Woody Allen comedy Whatever Works. His costars were Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Conleth Hill, and of course the hilarious Larry David. That same year Henry was cast as the lead in the horror Blood Creek. 

Ruins, Hitler’s agents, hundreds of gallons of fake blood, and ridiculous monsters. Sounds like the synopsis of a typical B movie. But Cavill was not attracted to the text, but to the director. Joel Schumacher was a known master of crime thrillers. Falling Down, A Time to Kill, and Phonebooth won the hearts of millions of viewers, and successful forays into other genres like The Phantom of the Opera gave Henry confidence in this project. Besides Henry, the director’s skills and name attracted Dominic Purcell and Michael Fassbender. Unfortunately, the first reaction to the script was proved right. Blood Creek turned out to be a typical slasher which was bound to fail. Its profit of 250 thousand dollars barely covered the set decorations. The result cost Schumacher his career. As for the lead actors, they preferred to forget that awful experience which frightened Hollywood way more than Richard Wirth.

While working on his last season of The Tudors Henry went to another audition. This time he got the main role in the action-fantasy Immortals. Despite the fact that physically Cavill did not fit the part, he was confirmed even before the script was finished. This story of Ancient Greece required that the actors look both like the sculptures from that era and the heroes in renaissance paintings.  

Director Tarsem Singh is known for his unique visual language, and his previous film The Fall was dubbed by critics as the most beautiful film in history. This time Tarsem was going to create a reel that would emulate the canvases of the Enlightenment artists. He was the one who insisted on casting Cavill who he required to undergo six months of physical training. Henry started training with a team of specialists even before the budget for them was approved. After waiting for investors for six months, the creators paid for the program, and to their surprise found that the actor was already ready to shoot. Henry transformed his body till it was unrecognizable, and lowered his body fat percentage to 6, which he maintained throughout filming. Later his set mate Mickey Rourke would remember that the guy wouldn’t step onto the set until he’d done 2,000 pushups. Besides Rourke who was given the role of King Hyperion, Luke Evans, Freida Pinto and John Hurt were also cast.

The actor’s challenges didn’t end with hundreds of tiresome hours at the gym. Daily he was covered in a layer of makeup, but unlike his colleagues refused to have additional muscle definition added because he wanted the screen to depict reality. He also had to have all the hair on his body removed.

True to expectations, the visual aspect of Immortals impressed viewers and critics alike. And the box office profits were not hampered even by the R rating, which the film received due to extreme gore and sexuality. Henry topped off his success in The Tudors with his successful appearance on the big screen. His face was on the posters of theatres all over the world, and he finally had his real break.   

Right after finishing filming the mythological action movie, Henry received the lead role in an adventure thriller The Cold Light of Day where he played opposite Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver. Funnily, at their first meeting the director, Mabrouk El Mechri was shocked by the actor’s body. But he didn’t compliment Cavill on it. The director explained that his character was a regular guy and the actor would have to lose some muscle. And, the next two months were the type of training actors only dream of. No workouts, combined with an eating spree. Next, it was 8 weeks of filming in Spain, where Henry had to run, jump, fall, and swim. That’s probably why on-screen he was still as ripped as ever. 

The film premiered on the 6th of April 2012 and by the next day the Cold Light of Day was christened ‘an unsuccessful Bourne movie imitation’. Critics left the film without a chance thanks to their scathing reviews which humiliated everyone connected to the film. A profit of 16 million only added to the awful commercial failure. 

At the same time, on a different continent, Christopher Nolan and David Goyer were preparing a new project for Warner Brothers. A screenplay of the next reboot of America’s most beloved superhero story. The director’s chair was given to Zack Snyder who had garnered fame thanks to the action movie 300. Nolan and Goyer provided the text and took the role of artistic consultants. Brandon Routh really wanted to reprise his role as Clark Kent but the director refused because he wanted to destroy all ties to the previous films. The only things that were left were the notes from the casting managers. That was how Amy Adams and Henry got invited. The actress had also auditioned in 2004 when the project became Superman Returns, and was at the top of the list of candidates even then. But only Snyder finally allowed the actress to play Louis Lane. Snyder also approved Cavill who had to audition in an unusual way, by reading lines while wearing a replica of the original Superman costume from the 60s which in our time evokes at its worst laughter and at its best a smirk. The actor was able to read the scene so that he was taken seriously. For the film itself, Zack wanted to modernize the superhero’s costume. The director looked at more than a thousand drawings but wasn’t able to find underwear that he liked, and for the first time scrapped Superman’s classic undergarment altogether. Snyder also had to have a few topless scenes to show the viewers that they were Cavill’s real muscles under the suit, not special effects. 

Yes, Henry exceeded all the boldest expectations, especially considering he refused to use steroids and chose to build his muscle mass naturally.  Zack got him to train at the famous Gym Jones where he had trained his 300 Spartans. Cavill spent four months training for two hours a day, drinking five protein shakes every 24 hours, and doing cardio to burn fat. The result surprised even the actor himself who didn’t expect to look so big on the screen. His achievement impressed even the critics who don’t often pay attention to transformations like that. And after shooting the scene where he comes out of the water as a reward for all his hard work Snyder gave Henry a piece of pizza and some ice cream.

But the main event while filming was meeting Russell Crowe. The actor didn’t recognize Henry at first, but when he remembered their first meeting he was surprised that the youth had taken the words from his card so seriously. 

Cavill was lucky to end up in the midst of such an impressive acting ensemble. Besides the aforementioned Amy Adams and Russell Crowe, he was joined by Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Michael Shannon. 

While filming the press could not keep from arguing. Superman fans were indignant at the choice of a British actor for the main superhero of the USA, but Cavill fans countered by arguing that Christian Bale had become the first Batman 8 years ago who was from across-the-ocean. When the film came out, all arguing ceased. The picture exceeded all expectations at the box office and was well-received by critics, while Warner Brothers signed a contract with Henry for four more films. By the way, the premiere of Man of Steel was in June of 2013, just in time for the 75th anniversary of the appearance of the first Superman comics.  

A week before he walked the red carpet, Cavill was filmed in the popular American children’s show Sesame Street where together with the 3 little pigs and the wolf he charmingly explained to children the meaning of the word ‘respect’. 

2013 was also memorable because of his fling with Gina Carano a professional MMA fighter. The couple spent a little over a year together and peacefully broke up, though Gina did give him an Akita puppy whom the actor named Kal El, Superman’s Kryptonian name. The dog became his faithful companion on set, photoshoots, social networks, and even interviews. 

In 2014 Henry got the chance to work with Guy Richie. The actor was invited to audition for the role of the Russian field agent Ilya Kuryakin in the remake of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. the popular British TV show from the 60s. The director liked him, but when Richie saw Armie Hammer’s audition he chose him immediately. Funnily enough, two years earlier the same thing had happened in reverse. Zack Snyder first had his eye on Armie for the role of Superman, until he saw Cavill. It seemed like it was the end, but two months later Tom Cruise left the project and Guy Richie offered the part of Napoleon Solo to Henry, who immediately accepted, though he had one condition: no nudity. The director accepted his terms and allowed him to explore his talent to its fullest potential. The competition between the lead role contenders off-camera only added incredible chemistry to their joint scenes. 

For the whole acting ensemble, the main obstacle in character development was the accents. Henry was an Englishman playing an American, Armie was an American playing a Russian, Alicia Vikander was a Swede playing a German, and Elizabeth Debicki was an Australian playing a typical Brit. 

Napoleon Solo’s costumes are worth special mention. Henry believed that he had been able to pull off the role only thanks to the amazing outfits. The suits were historically accurate, sewn from the highest quality fabrics by the best tailor in Britain, Timothy Everest who creates looks for the James Bond and Mission Impossible franchises.

Competition between Henry and Armie was not limited to their characters. The actors were constantly competing in their abilities and tried to do all their own stunts. Even for a sake of a tablecloth Cavill took lessons from the popular illusionist Mat Ricardo. However, their love for danger almost led to a tragic incident. The boat chase scene ended in the saving of Kuryakin. The actors did the scene underwater. In order to stay on the floor, Armie would insert his foot into a special weight. When Henry grabbed Hammer, the actor was supposed to release his angle and swim up. But the first attempt ended in Cavill trying to pull both his partner and the heavy weight up to the surface. Even Superman couldn’t handle the task and he let Armie go. 

Thankfully there were scuba divers at the ready who immediately helped the actor get to the surface.

Surprisingly, this elaborately designed world, exquisite editing, and witty script did not pay off at the box office. The film didn’t break even and the actors’ contracts for a sequel were canceled, but they didn’t lose heart and continue to seek investors together with Guy Richie for the next installment in the Agents of U.N.C.L.E. saga. 

Even before finishing work on the spy adventures of the cowboy and the Bolshevik, in San Diego, at ComicCon, they announced the continuation of the Superman story. Zack Snyder and screenwriter David Goyer renewed work on the next installment which united two main DC Comics heroes. Batman vs. Superman became the link to creating a universe like Marvel’s. By that time Christopher Nolan had filmed the Dark Knight trilogy and Christian Bale had refused to play Bruce Wayne again despite a 40-million-dollar proposal. He was replaced by Ben Affleck who had almost taken the director’s seat three years earlier for Man of Steel. Cavill and Affleck made the gym their home, and achieved incredible results. They both reached the peak of their physical shape, Ben reduced his body fat to 8% and Henry weighed over 200 pounds. The stars were joined by Jesse Eisenberg and Gal Godot, who like Cavill became the first non-American actress to portray Wonder Woman. 

Filming went on for 7  months, but Henry wasn’t the main character of the picture. He had only 42 lines and his screen time was much less than his set mates, since, besides Affleck and Godot’s characters, the film contained Aquaman played by Jason Mamoa and Flash played by Ezra Miller.  

Interestingly, the promo tour included feedback from the audience. A big criticism was aimed at Superman and the blindness of the people around him who couldn’t seem to recognize the biggest star on the planet just because Clark Kent just because he put some glasses on. To prove the plausibility of the transformation Henry did an experiment. Wearing a Superman shirt he stood in Times Square under a poster of the film Batman vs. Superman. [excerpt from Graham Norton Show]

After finishing work on the film, the actor waited a whole year before the theater release. Because of the overwhelming amount of computer graphics, Zack Snyder asked the studio to give him more time on post-production, at which point they delayed the release again so as to not compete with The First Avenger sequel. At the box office the picture which cost a little over 250 million dollars to make, made more than 850 million dollars. An incredible success sullied by critics and low ratings from viewers. And though Cavill and Affleck answered their critics by saying that the film was created for fans, not for critics, the genuine reactions to what happened flooded the whole internet.  

That same year Cavill worked with the Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson. And no, it wasn’t the long-awaited crossover of the Marvel and DC universes, it was a commercial for the Chinese phone company Huawei, where they competed only in their ability to take pretty photos. 

In 2017 Henry appeared in a biographical war drama called Sand Castle. Screenwriter Chris Roessner was inspired to describe the experience of war in Iraq thanks to the film Platoon directed by Oliver Stone. Netflix took a liking to the script and bought the rights, handing it over to Fernando Coimbra who had proven himself while directing some of the episodes of Narco. Fernando and Chris held auditions together. For the main role, they chose Nicholas Hoult who was then joined by Logan Marshall-Green and of course, Henry. 

CHRIS ROESSNER

“He sure as hell looked the part. I mean the guy is Superman. You've seen the films. He's in ridiculous shape. And these Special Forces soldiers, when they aren't on missions they're working out. That's the lifestyle and the body type follows. So that was clear.”

But the visual similarity was not the only reason he got the role. His upbringing also helped. His father’s drills and his military brothers left their mark. Add in a makeover and we’ll get the perfect soldier. 

Sand Castle did not become a hit on Netflix and got average press coverage. Critics complained that the plot was predictable and naive, but for the actors’ work, the picture was praised. 

Henry got his next gig thanks to social networks. In the comments under one of his photos on Instagram, he found a comment from Christopher McQuarrie which offered him a role in the upcoming Mission Impossible movie. The actor agreed and for the second time in his career played a CIA agent, though this time it was much harder. Not Napoleon Solo, not even Superman had prepared him for the unparalleled difficulty of the stunts of this picture. 

And though yes, Tom Cruise has proven many times that he is ready to do stunts that even experienced stuntmen don’t feel comfortable doing, no one considers his colleagues who have to do the same. The famous scene where they jump over Paris was filmed in real life. The only graphics are the clouds and the view over the city because French law forced the team to jump in a desert over Abu Dhabi. Cavill and Cruise rehearsed the scene in a specially devised tube, and then over 22 days did 106 jumps from 20 thousand feet reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. In three weeks they were able to get 3 perfect shots. 

This is the most extreme example, but not the only one. The fight scenes, the helicopter chase, falling from the cliff, coming down the roof of the Grand Palais in Paris, and of course, the reloading of the fists.  

Before working on Mission Impossible: Fallout Cavill reprised Superman in The Justice League movie.  Unfortunately, his scenes were cut and they required him to come back and film again, but the schedules clashed which made Paramount forbid him to shave his mustache. This led to possibly the worst piece of CGI in DC universe history. Ironically, the Justice League was put off for more than ten years because they wanted to make a movie where computer technology would allow the director to create everything he had imagined. But after its release, no one noticed the wonders of the CGI, all the viewers were concentrated on Cavill’s lip, which seemed to have a life of its own. A weird criticism. Maybe that was normal physiology for the residents of Krypton. 

Interesting that CGI could have been avoided if the installment had been filmed a little earlier since there was a pause in the filming of Mission Impossible: Fallout for six months because of Cruise’s injury which made it into the final cut. Because of this, the picture was released in June of 2018. As usual, it did well at the box office and almost made it to 800 million dollars, while the parade of impossible stunts and acting ensemble guaranteed the approval of critics and viewers alike. That same year Henry finally shaved his mustache when he filmed a commercial for BOSS and became the ambassador of their new sunglasses line. Having vacated the space under his nose he dedicated a farewell video to it on Instagram with the hashtag #shavedbutnotforgotten. 

Another event in 2018 turned out to be a complete flop. Henry was coerced into playing in the crime thriller Night Hunter where he was joined by Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, and Alexandra Daddario. The cast was worthy of the movie theater billboards, but after the premiere at a film festival in LA, it was released on-demand online in limited supply where it made less than 300 thousand dollars. Critics pinned the failure on the director and writer David Raymond, for whom it was a debut feature film.  

However, Henry had already begun to work on a project which was bound to succeed. A year before that, in May of 2017, Netflix announced that it was preparing a screen adaptation of the Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. The minute Cavill found out about this he began to bombard the producers to get the role of Geralt of Rivia. The main cause of his interest was a love for the games made by CD Projekt Red Studios which the actor had started playing long before reading the books. Even before the showrunner Lauren Schmidt had begun writing the script, Henry contacted her several times. His persistence paid off and over the next six months, Lauren wrote Geralt’s lines with Henry’s voice in her head. They auditioned 207 candidates, but no one except for Cavill seemed to be the right fit. That was how the actor got the role of his dreams. 

Again Henry was forced to push the limits of his body. He also had to study the art of sword fighting and for the next half year was constantly surrounded by weapons. Even at home, he didn’t put down the sword. 

The reason he had to train so thoroughly was because of Cavill’s refusal to use a stunt double. Every stunt in the series is done by the actor himself. 

Filming began on the 5th of November 2018 and continued for eight months. After six months of heavy training, Henry realized that this was just the practice before the real hardship. Because now he had to fit in his workouts after eight hours of filming every day in order to stay in shape. 

In addition, it took at least two hours a day to do his makeup, and the lenses hurt his eyes so much that he had to take them out every three hours because the pain was unbearable. According to Henry no diets, schedules or exercise were as excruciating as the lenses. The only thing that was worse were the nude scenes for which the actor had to do a three-day dehydration. 

But by the end of filming, Cavill had gotten so used to Geralt’s appearance that when he was in lenses, costume and a white wig he felt more comfortable than in his normal clothes. 

Of course, a TV series is much more than the lead actor. Just the song Toss a Coin to Your Witcher which aired in the second episode topped international charts and became an internet sensation. The actor playing Jaskier, Joey Batey said that the song was stuck in his head for eight months and he couldn’t stop humming it. 

As soon as the first images of Henry in Geralt’s costume hit the internet, Netflix received mixed reactions. Of course, it couldn’t avoid comparison to another fantasy world. Fans of the seven kingdoms compared Cavill’s wig to another, no less famous hairdo.

After the Witcher was released in November of 2019, perhaps the juxtaposition with Game of Thrones caused the mediocre reviews from critics. Fans of the games and novels about Geralt of Rivia ecstatically received the screen adaptation. But most of the critics knew nothing of the world of Geralt. Dozens of reviews were written by journalists who had not even watched all the episodes. The non-linear narrative which impressed fans, confused first-time viewers. But by the end of the first season, everything was in its place and those who made it to the end outnumbered the authors of negative reviews. Four days after its release, The Witcher became the most-watched show on Netflix and the best project made by the company according to IMDB users. Even half a year later, it hadn’t lost its position in the popular ratings and continued to attract new viewers to the streaming service.  

Obviously, they immediately started filming a second season. Supposedly its plot will focus on the events described in the book The Blood of Elves and is planned to be released in 2021. The project’s showrunner Lauren Schmidt hinted that the studio is betting heavily on the show, promising to extend the series by 7 seasons at least. 

This schedule left Henry little free time, so in 2020 he only participated in one more project. The screen adaptation of the book Enola Holmes which tells the story of Sherlock and Mycroft Holme’s sister, where Henry plays Sherlock. 

Another possible project is connected to the most ambitious video game in the industry. The director Chris Roberts gathered an acting ensemble the likes of which no video game has seen and put them in a cosmic simulator for Squadron 42. Besides the avid gamer Henry, who gladly agreed to be a part of this universe, the creation was aided by the likes of Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, Andy Serkis, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Hammil, and Gary Oldman. A release date has not yet been announced, but from the first trailers, the creators effectively captured the attention of movie lovers and directed it towards the gaming industry.   

And though this is only the beginning, Henry Cavill’s career has already shown that sometimes one meeting is enough to change the course of things and that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.