Hollywood star Henry Cavill is widely known for portraying the iconic DC superhero in Zack Snyder’s DCEU. He has been very candid about his experience portraying the character. Although he may not portray Superman again, the actor has been candid about the profound impact of embodying such a legendary character has had on him.
During an interview with The Guardian, he opened up about the responsibilities that come with embodying a character like Superman, as he shared a self-imposed rule about preserving his integrity both as himself and as the superhero he brought to life on the big screen.
Henry Cavill on Maintaining a Positive Image
In a candid conversation with The Guardian, Henry Cavill talked about the unique challenges of maintaining a balance between his on- and off-screen life. The actor, who is no stranger to being in the limelight, shared insight about a self-imposed rule that guides his choices.
“Don’t make a d**k out of yourself’ is a good rule, whoever you are. Besides, it’s a character. If someone comes up and asks if I’m Superman, I say, ‘Sometimes. Not today, though, because I’ve got a pint in my hand. Also, I’m British.’”
Talking about how playing an iconic character could create issues in his personal life, the Man of Steel star also argued that some responsibilities come with embodying such characters. He emphasized that his on-screen persona doesn’t determine if he can be seen enjoying a night out. However, there is still one aspect that he believes should be considered by everyone.
Henry Cavill on the Downside of Playing Superman
Henry Cavill appeared as Superman in five movies, including his cameo in the 2022 film Black Adam. And the actor has admitted that while there are positive aspects of playing popular roles like Superman on-screen, it is not always the same.
“There’s a blessing in being Superman. You get more attention,” he told The Guardian before sharing how it impacts an actor’s professional and personal life. “But there’s also a curse, which is that you’d better fucking look like Superman any time you need to get your kit off,” he shared.
He has opened up about how his body image issues date back to his school years when he was bullied for being overweight. Cavill has shared how it has left an impact on him and has made him “very self-critical.” He also shared that although he reassures himself that he’s just fine, he also uses self-criticism as a motivation to do better in the future.