Perhaps in a different world, Henry Cavill could’ve lived his dream of being an Egyptologist.
Be it his loyalty to source material when portraying Superman in Man of Steel or the magical monster hunter in The Witcher, or his undying love of comics and video games, the DC alum has rightly won the moniker of the king of nerds. But his devotion to such pursuits isn’t a recent development by any means, his inherent passion for the same goes back to his school days. So much so that the Justice League star once wanted to make a living out of ancient Egyptology.
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Henry Cavill Geeked Out on Ancient History & Egyptology
Back when he was still a kid treading through school days, Henry Cavill dreamt of pursuing a degree in Egyptology before joining the armed forces.
The works of a French author and Egyptologist named Christian Jacq stirred immense inspiration in a young Cavill, sparking the desire of wanting to further explore the world of derelict civilizations and prehistoric times. And before you knew it, the British actor’s penchant for all things intellectual drew him toward the allure of ancient history, leading him to contemplate a future in the same background.
“In school I had an interest in ancient history and Egyptology in particular. There was a historical fiction writer named Christian Jacq who wrote a series of books, sort of Egyptology-based, and I really enjoyed them. I thought, ‘If I’m going to study something, why not make it something I really enjoy?’ The idea was to get a degree in ancient history or Egyptology and have the armed forces sponsor me through university. And join the armed forces afterward.”
While the Enola Holmes star didn’t get the chance to go after his childhood dreams, he did end up playing out these historical fantasies through movies.
Living His Dream Through Period Roles
Cavill, 40, might be renowned for action films and his portrayal of DC’s Superman, but he has also worked on a number of projects that represented the genre of historical fiction. In fact, one of the earliest roles in his career was in 2007’s Stardust, a fantasy/adventure based on a novel of the same name. Not to mention, the Dawn of Justice star has also starred in Michael Hirst’s period drama The Tudors.
Tarsem Singh’s Immortals is yet another project that may be seen as a testament to Cavill’s interest in ancient history. A fantasy action film, the 2011 venture stars Cavill as Theseus, a warrior chosen by Zeus to stop King Hyperion from wreaking havoc in Greece. And since Immortals was loosely based on Greek mythology, it explains why the premise would’ve intrigued the actor. He’s a certified geek after all.
Immortals can be streamed on Netflix.
Source: SFGate
