You say “heartthrob” and we hear Henry Cavill. With a number of successful characters and projects to his name, Henry Cavill has become a household name. If his name is linked to a project, the project will surely be a hit and an entertaining watch, as well. From Superman to Sherlock Holmes, the guy has done it all and the roles just keep getting piled up.
However, that wasn’t always the case. Just like any road to success, Henry Cavill also had to see a lot of failures and rejections on his way to the top. It sure is hard to believe that an actor of his caliber would have faced struggles in bagging a role. While the pressure was taking a toll on him, so much so that he considered joining the Armed Forces, it all turned out to be for the best!
When Henry Cavill Almost Quit Hollywood
The pressure of getting a job is real and it takes a certain toll on you. Henry Cavill, despite having a net worth of $40 million, is no stranger to this fact. His way to the top of the pyramid didn’t come easy. During his early days in acting, it was getting pretty difficult for him to keep the flicker of hope alive. Things were getting pretty straining and at one point he even decided to give up his career in the entertainment industry as a whole. So, what would Cavill be doing if not for taking our breath away with his acting? He’d be in the Armed Forces.
“There were plenty of times I thought it wouldn’t happen. At one stage I was like, ‘If this next movie doesn’t do well then I’m out, I’m going to join the Armed Forces.”
Not only that, but Cavill also faced rejection while auditioning for the role of James Bond for Casino Royale. He stated that director Martin Campbell told him, “Looking a little chubby there, Cavill.” So while the role went to Daniel Craig, Cavill does credit the director for steering him in the right direction stating that he didn’t know how to train or diet, and Campbell giving his honest feedback helped him get better with time.
The Audition that Motivated Henry Cavill
Cavill auditioned for a role in The Lion in Winter back in the early 00s, the start of his time in the industry. We all know Cavill didn’t bag the role and it looks like it was one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. In Variety’s Actor-on-Actor interview, Cavill opened up about the audition with Patrick Stewart.
Stewart is one of the most renowned actors and is best known for his work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises. So when Cavill heard that Stewart will be present in the audition room for The Lion in Winter, he was bound to fumble. After all, auditioning in front of such an actor had to be a lot of pressure!
Cavill recalled the incident to Stewart stating that even though he spent weeks practicing for the audition, seeing him in the room completely flubbed his audition and he forgot how to act.
“I think it was in 2003, when you [Patrick Stewart] were casting for The Lion in Winter. I’d been acting for three years. I was incredibly nervous to audition in front of an actor of your caliber. I had spent weeks learning my lines, and by the time I got in there, I’d whipped myself into such a frenzy that I completely flubbed the audition. I forgot how to act, and then I left with my tail in between my legs.”
However, after turning tail and running away from the moment, Cavill realized that he could’ve done much better. So, he went back to the audition room and gave it his hundred percent. Sure it wasn’t enough to actually bag the role, but Stewart’s kind words gave Cavill the motivation he was looking for.
“As I was walking down a street in London, I suddenly thought, ‘I know I can do better’. So I went back in — you said it was OK — and I did another audition. It wasn’t good enough to get the job, but it was far better. You said, ‘I’m so glad that you came back,’ and that gave me such strength throughout my career, and I’ve never forgotten it.
Well, the millions and millions of fans of Cavill (us included) are forever grateful to Stewart for motivating him just enough for him to continue his journey in Hollywood. Who knows, maybe if Cavill didn’t go back to the audition and Stewart didn’t say those words, we wouldn’t have Cavill stealing the show with his performances today.
Source: Variety
