British actor Henry Cavill became a household name in 2013 when he portrayed Superman in Man of Steel. He went on to reprise the iconic role multiple times, showcasing his physicality and charisma in major blockbusters such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018). Born as Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill on May 5, 1983, on Jersey — the largest of England’s Channel Islands — he started his education at St. Michael’s Preparatory School before moving on to the prestigious Stowe School in Buckingham, England.

Initially, Henry was deeply interested in ancient history and aspired to study it at university, even considering an armed services scholarship. However, his life took a different turn after a chance meeting with actor Russell Crowe, who was filming Proof of Life (2000) at Stowe. Inspired by the encounter, Cavill began to explore acting more seriously, participating in school productions and gradually discovering his passion for the craft.

Fate played a role once again when a casting director visited Stowe searching for a young actor to play the son of Guy Pearce’s character in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). Cavill was selected for his striking looks and budding acting experience. This opportunity led to roles in notable British films like I Capture the Castle (2003), though in the years that followed, he found himself in smaller or less visible projects such as Tristan and Isolde (2006).

Throughout his early career, Henry faced disappointment after narrowly missing out on several high-profile roles. Among them were parts in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) and Twilight (2008), both of which went to Robert Pattinson, as well as the coveted role of James Bond in Casino Royale (2006). Interestingly, he also lost the chance to play Superman in Superman Returns (2006), a role he would later embody with great success.

In the meantime, Cavill continued to work steadily, taking on supporting roles in films like Woody Allen’s Whatever Works (2009) and landing a significant part as the first Duke of Suffolk in Showtime’s historical drama The Tudors (2007–2010). His career took a major turn when he was cast as the mythological hero Theseus in Immortals (2011), a role that once again highlighted his ability to perform in physically demanding parts. This performance helped bring him back into the mainstream spotlight, eventually leading to his casting as Superman.

In 2013, he donned the cape for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, with Russell Crowe — his acting inspiration — playing the role of Jor-El, Superman’s biological father. Cavill reprised the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), sharing the screen with Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.

In between these grand superhero films, Henry Cavill continued to diversify his filmography. He starred as 1960s television spy Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and played a complex double agent opposite Tom Cruise in the massive hit Mission: Impossible – Fallout. With a growing list of box office successes, Cavill expanded his reach into television, taking on the lead role of a monster hunter in Netflix’s fantasy series The Witcher (2019–present). He then went on to portray another legendary character — the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes — in Enola Holmes, where he shared the screen with Millie Bobby Brown, known for her role in Stranger Things, playing his clever and capable younger sister.