To say Henry Cavill is ‘buff’, would be a severe understatement. Standing tall at 6 feet 2, Cavill has shoulders as wide as the Pacific and a hunk of a body that would put even professionals to shame. It is no wonder that no matter how hard he tries to blend in, his dedicated fans can always make him out of a legion of people.
However, the Man of Steel star was not always as towering and bulked up as he is now. There was once a time when he was rejected for being too fat and chubby. Taking the comment to his heart, the star worked hard to reach the level of physical perfection he has achieved now.
Henry Cavill Was Body-Shamed By $14.8B Franchise
If you have seen Henry Cavill in Immortals, The Witcher, and Man of Steel, you must be aware of the British actor’s toned and muscled body. His imposing presence and muscular stature have been the work of many dedicated years. While he does exhibit every characteristic of being a Hollywood leading man now, The Witcher star was not so growing up. He was fat shamed growing up and even after debuting as an actor.
During the early 2000s, the star finally landed a big audition for the $14.8 billion franchise, James Bond.
“I probably could have prepared better. I remember the director, Martin Campbell, saying, ‘Looking a little chubby there, Henry.’ I didn’t know how to train or diet. And I’m glad Martin said something, because I respond well to truth. It helps me get better.”
After losing the role to Daniel Craig, Cavill worked hard to achieve physical fitness and trained to build up his body. Eventually, he landed his breakthrough Immortals and Man of Steel role that established Henry Cavill as every bit deserving of being a lead star.
Henry Cavill Though He Was Too Fat When Auditioning For Man Of Steel
Zack Snyder was unsure when he had Henry Cavill, an unknown face audition for his Superman movie. Back in 2010, he had the Mission: Impossible star come to the studio for some camera tests and had him try an original spandex Superman suit from one of the 1980s films. Talking about how he felt at the moment, Cavill said,
“If I’m going to be honest, what was going through my mind was, ‘Lord, I’m too fat to be wearing this suit right now.’”
Zack Snyder on the other hand was totally blown away with every bit of his doubt completely vanished.
“Henry put it on in this trailer. And there’s a version of this where he comes out and is like, ‘I’m Superman!’ and you’re like, ‘OK, it’s Halloween.’ But Henry came out and even the crusty grips we hired for the test got quiet. Everybody was heart-attack serious. He had just the right energy. We were like, “Oh, he’s Superman. That’s what Superman looks like.’“
And that is how Henry Cavill became Superman after losing the role of James Bond.
Man of Steel is available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
