Henry Cavill has become a popular icon across the planet due to his iconic portrayal of the Man of Steel in the DC Extended Universe. Not just that, his stardom became proportionate to his roles as he landed into several major projects including The Witcher, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and Enola Holmes. Though it’s quite clear that his role as Superman is no longer in the DCEU, and will be portraying Geralt of Rivia for the last time in the upcoming season of The Witcher.

Although his major projects are closed in his life, he could never forget what he experienced throughout his journey. He once got candid about how his portrayal of Superman reflected his own past.

Henry Cavill Recalled His Own Past While Playing Superman

Henry Cavill in Man of Steel (2013)

The 40-year-old actor, Henry Cavill in a 2013 interview with Vanity Fair opened up about his traumatizing childhood when he was called “Fat Cavill.”

Though he did not provide many details about his childhood, he opened up about going to boarding school when he “became an easy target.” Being fat made him a victim at the time, and he remembered calling his “mom four times a day” to bawl out his emotions.

He also mentioned that his bad experience at boarding school helped him a lot in shaping his DCEU character, Superman’s identity.

“My version of Superman is essentially of a guy who has spent his whole life alone.”

Not only he perfectly executed the fans’ favorite role, but he also made it his own. Regarding his change from “fat Cavill” to Superman Cavill, he had to work out a lot.

Henry Cavill Got Candid About His Transformation from a Child to a Superfit Guy!

The Witcher actor, Henry Cavill

Though he was “fat,” he went through an intense transformation when he landed his first role at the age of 17 in an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo. It helped him in losing 21 pounds, which eventually removed the tag of fat on him.

“I wasn’t Fat Cavill anymore.”

He told the outlet,

“We did some of the first shots in Plano, Ill., and they’d get me up at the crack of dawn, and we’d go to work in this tiny gym at the bottom of the very cheap motel we were staying in.”

He continued to work out while filming for the adaptation, which gave him an essential push toward the acting industry.

“We’d go for an hour, an hour and a half, and then we’d film all day in 100-degree temperatures.”

Not just that, he had to go through an immense workout schedule to get the body for Man of Steel. The intense workout session was followed by a strict diet that helped him stay in shape. However, he has already separated his ways from DC, meanwhile, he is set to reprise his role as Geralt of Rivia this June 29th with the third season of The Witcher. This will be his last time in the fantasy series with Liam Hemsworth taking over his role from the next season.

The Witcher will release in two parts on Netflix with the first part starting from June 29, 2023.