1. Little did anyone expect Henry Cavill to have the opportunity to act alongside veteran actor Russell Crowe — who played his father in “Man Of Steel” 11 years later — when he was just 16 years old.

Henry was an unknown boy at the time, a shivering Stowe School high school boy in shorts with some of his classmates who were called to play public roles in the background for a scene in Russell Crowe’s “Proof Of Life.”

That year, “Gladiator” had just hit theaters and was taking the world by storm, needless to say how excited the little students were to meet the star of that movie in the flesh in real life, “Oh my god, Maximus Decimus Meridius!”.

And Henry Cavill, a Channel Islander who grew up in Jersey and attended Stowe Boarding School, thought: “That’s so silly, just stand here and peek at this famous actor. I want to be a real actor, if only by going over to ask him.”

So he did, and under the admiring gaze of his peers, Henry walked over to Russell, held out his hand, and said, “Hi, my name is Henry. I want to be an actor. How do you see it?”

And Russell Crowe talked to him — about everything that’s good and not-so-good about being an actor — and he finally said, “But if you really want to follow it, then follow it wholeheartedly. Don’t give up.”

By this time, the children had noticed that Henry had pioneered the way to get close to the superstar for them, so without any hesitation, they crowded around the actor asking for autographs.

Henry felt extremely guilty for this childish annoyance he had inadvertently caused and quickly transformed into a bodyguard to show Russell the way out, “Hurry, run this way.” “Because I thought,” he said in retrospect, “getting asked for an autograph must have been the thing you hate the most in the world.”

Crowe ran

Two days later, Henry received a package, including candy from Jersey (where Henry mentioned where he grew up), a jar of Vegemite (typical Australian food), a CD of the band that Russell Crowe was participating in at the time, and a picture of Crowe in “Gladiator”, with the caption: “Dear Henry, every 1,000-mile journey begins with one step. Russell”.

“And I didn’t ask for anything — it’s amazing that it wasn’t asked.”

He didn’t open a single candy, neither did the jar of Vegemite, not even the picture was in the box. Henry kept the box intact and respectfully placed it in his childhood bedroom, as motivation and inspiration. And also a bit of luck.

11 years on, armed with a TV show (“The Tudors”), a hit Greek mythological blockbuster (“Immortals”), a whirlwind of opportunities to slip through his fingers, and a long break, Henry is now in an LA gym for the most horrific bodybuilding workouts that lasted months for the role As Superman in “Man Of Steel,” he became the first British star to take on the role.

And then one day, the person who walked into the gym was none other than Russell Crowe, who was given the role of Henry’s father in the film, Jor-El, a role that once belonged to Marlon Brando. He also worked on bodybuilding for his role with the same trainer as Henry.

However, Henry didn’t say the only thing that popped into his mind at the time—about the day 11 years ago. The two greeted, shook hands, and that was it. There are no quirks. “Hey, do you remember…”; or “Russ, there’s a funny thing…”, or “Well, do you remember the movie Proof Of Life…” Nothing.

Because asking for an autograph is the thing you hate the most in the world.

Because he got that wonderful gift — the gift of luck, good luck — when he didn’t ask for it.

So for all these months they practiced together, Henry didn’t say a word.

2. It may depend on one’s opinion that Henry Cavill — now 29 years old, the youngest stepchild in a family of 5 brothers and remembered as the most naked guy in the hit TV series “The Tudors” — is the luckiest or least lucky guy in Hollywood. After all, the truth is that he met the person who would play his father on film at the age of 16. The truth is that Russell Crowe is still his favorite actor and “Gladiator” remains his favorite movie.

And the most obvious truth is that none other than Henry Cavill is the one who is put in charge of the role of Superman in a $ 225 million summer blockbuster with a superstar cast including Michael Shannon (as the villain Zod) and 3-time Oscar nominee “Disney princess” Amy Adams (as the female lead Lois Lane), with this springboard Henry would soon burst into the sky of fame, this fortune only a rare few could have. But at the same time, it’s also true that most of the big “star-turned” roles over the past decade or so have been lost in the hairline!

Let’s take a look: First losing a supporting role in “Harry Potter” to Robert Pattinson, to playing Batman to Christian Bale, then losing to Pattinson again for the lead role in the “Twilight” franchise (although Stephenie Meyer, the creator of the original series, called Henry Cavill “the perfect Edward”), then losing to Daniel Craig for the role of James Bond and finally, perhaps most ironically and bizarrely, he lost the role… Superman returned to Brandon Routh in the previous Superman film, 2006’s “Superman Returns,” a flop directed by Bryan Singer.

The story passed down by people word of mouth roughly like that. And this is the main reason Henry Cavill is assigned the title of “the unluckiest person in Hollywood”. However, the truth is a bit more complicated. It is true that he auditioned for the film “Harry Potter”, up to 2 times (but was not chosen because he was criticized as… older than the character) but he never auditioned for “Twilight” or “Batman.” As for Superman, he was originally chosen by McG for Superman that year, but then due to economic problems, the director’s chair was replaced by Bryan Singer and the director’s desire to play Superman was Brandon Routh.

Arguably Henry was too unlucky in this case? Or actually luckily this film ended up being a commercial as well as artistic failure. When asked, “Do you feel lucky not to have won that role?” He just laughed and said, “Well… Let’s just say it’s great for me to be a part of this movie, because it’s the perfect role for me. It’s up to you to understand it either way.”

Henry Cavill in The Tudors – the television series that made him famous

But perhaps most unfortunate is how narrowly he missed the James Bond role at just 22 years old. “This is the role I aspire to play.” Henry had two auditions in the U.S. and Europe, followed by on-camera auditions for Sean Connery’s James Bond films and “Casino Royale.” It was a race between Henry and Craig.

In the end, the answer is no. But it’s really too much to imagine, think I’m only 22 years old! So do you still intend to play Bond in the future? “Of course, if I’m cast again, and people see me not only as Superman but as the real Bond, then of course I’ll be happy to play that role.” He paused for a moment. “I never thought I was unlucky. When you aim for big things, it’s hard to achieve if luck doesn’t smile on you.”

Henry Cavill really aimed too high, which meant he needed a huge fortune to smile on him.

As a result, he hadn’t had a job for years. He had a small role at age 17, but somewhere between this role and his role in the TV series “The Tudors” five years later, he struggled. Those were betting days with the bank expecting a big role to clear all the debt, but it was all very obscure.

“I want to be a sought-after name by producers for giving audiences goosebumps on the couch,” he said, “Of course money is important. Oh my gosh, it’s so important. People who say “I’m not for money, I do it for art” are either crazy or lying. I’m sorry, but it has to pay me to do it, I’m not a non-profit charity. In addition, it is very expensive to fly in and out of LA to film. You need a job that pays well.”

Henry Cavill và Amy Adams trong Man of Steel

3. If you talk to Henry Cavill, you will completely believe this is true.

This is also the reason that director Zack Snyder chose Henry to play Superman. “He’s very decent. He has the qualities Superman needs. And those things don’t have to be struggling. That’s what surprised me quite about Henry. I want my Superman not to be fake, it sounds simple, but most actors will “play” it and it will be cliché without sincerity. Decency is the hardest thing to happen if it’s not who you really are.” And this, plus a muscular body, tough handsome face, attractive smile and impeccable photogenic looks, Henry Cavill seems to be the ideal model for a leading actor.

However, contrary to popular belief, Henry Cavill was quite self-conscious about his appearance. When he tried on Superman’s tight suit, he was too embarrassed to step out because he thought, “Oh my god, I’m a fat Superman. They probably won’t choose me!” It’s hard to imagine that scene when not long ago he played a Greek god with a strong body everyone dreams of!

Then he plunged into frantic training for the role of Superman. He always looked in the mirror and wondered, “Is this enough?”

Why? His body was already too standard?

Perhaps this is a consequence of an inferiority complex childhood of an oversized boy. Henry Cavill was a little overweight when he was in school and he was always bullied in school. At the age of 13 he longed to leave Jersey because he felt “it was too small” and the constant bullying in boarding school led him to call home crying with his mother 3 times a day, for 2 years. Until one day his mother told him to stop!

And he stopped, as his straightforward nature did, he stopped crying altogether. The nickname “Fat Cavill” stuck with him even after leaving school. It was so ingrained in the young man’s mind that he was always mindful of his body weight. It wasn’t until he auditioned for his first role with his mother that he had to lose weight to get the role. “I was very upset that they didn’t tell me that directly, but I ended up losing weight.” He recalled.

Henry Cavill in Immortal – hit Greek epic film

4. Back in his fitness room in LA just before “Man Of Steel” began shooting, actor Russell Crowe suspected something from his fellow trainer for the past few months. They practiced together for a long time but didn’t talk much, and Russell was itching inside because he realized he had met this guy somewhere. But where?

Crowe questioned coach Mark Twight but received only a mysterious nod. He finally decides to talk to Henry. And Henry asked if Russell remembered visiting Stowe School 11 years ago. He said yes. Henry then asked about the conversation after the scene, which Russell had a very dim impression of. So Henry said, “I asked you what it was like to be an actor?”

Did I answer? Crowe asked, “You said it pays pretty well, but people treat me terribly!”

Crowe laughed, “yes, of course I said that. Hello Henry.”

And they had a conversation together for quite some time.

The 1,000-mile journey is now behind Henry Cavill, Crowe’s gift box given to him 11 years ago still sits safely in the warehouse, the picture has faded a bit, the Vegemite box is a little overpriced, but it’s all still there, intact.

“We told each other how magical and wonderful it was that he was playing that role now, and me with the biggest role of my career. And he’s here with me again.”

Henry paused for a moment.

“These are the times when you ask yourself — how many times can the opportunity come like that?”