Before he was Superman and that guy in The Witcher, hottie Henri Cavill did a tour of duty in some frock flicks. Not a ton of ’em, but enough and he’ll be playing Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming Enola Holmes, based on a popular young-adult series about the great Victorian sleuth’s little sister. So maybe Cavill wasn’t just paying his dues, and we could see him tying on a cravat or in hose and pumpkin pants again? Hmm…
Albert Mondego in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
This is fiiiine.
Soldier Colley in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (2002)
Even wounded in WWI, that works.
Stephen Colley in I Capture the Castle (2003)
Cute in the 1930s.
Melot in Tristan and Isolde (2006)
Usually, I like guys with long hair, but that’s a bad wig, yuck.
Charles Brandon in The Tudors (2007-2010)
Not historically accurate, of course, the he comported himself well.
Theseus in Immortals (2011)
And what he’s known best for — abs. For thems who like that.
Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Supposedly set in the 1960s.
What’s your favorite historical costume movie or TV role of Henry Cavill’s?
Curiosity, not criticism — was his role in Stardust left off the list because the movie is fantasy? Or is it just a movie you haven’t seen?
Just fantasy!
The Tudors! Not much in the way of historical accuracy, I know, but I’ve always loved the costumes and Charles Brandon in particular, especially as they aged him. I really loved Henry’s performance as his grew older and grew up, unlike his buddy the king who only grew more paranoid and angry. I could go on about the Tudor period in history for days, but I eon’t. It’s so great to see Henry Cavill doing so well in his career. He’s a fine actor!
He was underrated in that role & should do more costume dramas.
That’s where I noticed him as well. I thought he was fantastic in an otherwise forgettable show.
I agree, he was a great period sidekick. He seems to struggle as a leading man, but he’s amazing in the second role. He really elevated some bad writing in The Tudors, and made Charles Brandon super-compelling!
Tudors
I see a photo of Henry Cavill and my stress levels drop. I don’t question it, I just bask in the pretty.
That’s really all we need these days, right?
Fact. That, and cats.
Cavill and cats work for me!
Can’t say I’ve seen many of these, but I do like him as an actor. Solo was stylish if fairly ridiculous (but it took itself the right amount of serious so it worked–fun watch). He seems pretty self-effacing on the chat shows I’ve seen, but I just support him generally now after he replied “Lord of the Rings” with face that I felt deep in my soul when asked “Harry Potter or Game of Thrones” in some Witcher promotional interview. And yes, he’s not hard on the eyes.
He’s just so beautiful. Like he’s carved from marble. And actually a fantastic actor. I first saw him in The Count of Monte Cristo where he was just so fresh and was thrilled to eventually see him in more historically more or less) costumed roles. Siiighhhh. Just soooooo purrrrdy.
For “The Man From U.N.C.L.E., you mean . . . you mean supposedly set in 1963. The movie looked as if it had been set in 1968-69. Still loved it.
Yes to “Man From U.N.C.L.E.”! It was a romp, pure and simple. Too bad it didn’t do well enough at the box office for a sequel.
I’m so salty over that. I need more Gabby and Illya!
Yes yes yes yes.
I loved that movie. And Cavill in it. (the scene with the sandwich and the boats and the opera music? perfection)
One of my favorite scenes!
BTW, has anyone else seen the Youtube video with him and Simon Pegg discussing British slang? So funny.
Not a day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of Elizabeth Debicki in that movie and her fabulous, faaaaaaaaaabulous mod outfits as the evil shipping magnate villainess (?). That particolored black and white gown makes me swoon. Google it. You’ll thank me later.
I really really really wanted a sequel to Man from U.N.C.L.E. with the 3 main characters and Hugh Grant. I still want one.
This is the only film/tv show I have seen Mr. Cavill in, but I liked it so much I bought the DVD.
Tudors, for sure. He was my favorite character in this fantasy.
Couldn’t click fast enough.
Besides the Tudors, I enjoyed him in Man From U.N.C.L.E. but I always preferred Ilya to Napoleon.
Doesn’t everyone? David McCallum, Rrow!
Yummy.
McCallum is still the best thing on NCIS, even though he has very little screen time. When he’s on, he could give lessons to everyone else in the cast.
So true. Ducky and Abby are my favourites and now that Abby left, I’m watching sporadically only for Ducky.
Napoleon is a playboy. Illya is a romantic, with quiet, burning, passion.
I likes me some quiet, burning passion.
Count me in as one who felt THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. was a fun romp and wanted to see more. I recognized Cavill in THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO when I finally watched this latest version a couple years ago (I still like the Richard Chamberlain version the best), but I was so disappointed at the changed ending that I more or less blocked that film from my memory.
Richard Chamberlain was awfully pretty too!
It really was so disappointing that it didn’t do better. I was hoping for a series of sequels.
I didn’t realize he was in The Tudors until I had seen this picture. I did enjoy the Tudors by the way. The Witcher the set is a great read and unbelievably awesome game on the Xbox , never got around to watching Superman or any of his other movies and I likely won’t. He is most certainly pretty and looks like he’d be fun to play with 🤭
Finally my man gets some love! Saw I Capture The Castle as an impressionable teen and never looked back. Then he tackled my favourite time period in The Tudors and managed to make me look past those historical inaccuracies. Criminally underrated!
Gotta go with I Capture the Castle–all the way!!! That movie is so lovely and so underrated. I also really enjoyed Tristan & Isolde when it came out, but I had no idea Henry Cavill was in it until reading this post. (Of course, he was not a star at that time.) Immortals was an odd mixture of very good and very bad. I liked The Man from U.N.C.L.E., but I felt like every second of it screamed, “This is a Guy Ritchie movie,” and that took me out of it a bit. That said, Henry Cavill is absolutely yummy in every way. When he works in a role, he really works in it. I vote “yes” to see him in more costume dramas.
The biggest mistake they made in The Man From U.N.C.L.E was not going with the theme tune.