15 Things About New Superman Henry Cavill

Best known among "The Tudors" fans as the tormented, but passionate Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, Cavill is set to play the new Superman in the 2012 film "Man of Steel." Here's a quick rundown on Henry Cavill for those who don't know anything about the handsome actor.

1. Cavill's full name is Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill - the Dalgliesh surname is of Scots origin and is Gaelic for "Dweller at the Brook-Field."

2. Born in 1983 on the island of Jersey in the British Channel Islands off the French coast of Normandy, Cavill is the fourth out of five boys.

3. The 6'1" tall actor used to play rugby and dreams of playing the role of Alexander the Great.

4. He has played World of Warcraft and found it "fairly addictive." He also plays EVE Online.

5. In Entertainment Weekly's "Must List of 2009," Cavill is listed as "Must Dashing Duke" due to his knack at displaying "charm, depth, and a killer bod" in his role as Charles Brandon on Showtime's "The Tudors."

6. He's interested in Egyptology and can speak several languages including French and Italian.

7. At 18, he filmed his first sex scene with Emmanuelle Seigner in the 2001 drama "Laguna." According to Seigner, Cavill was so nervous that he needed quite a few drinks to relax for the steamy scene.

8. His big break came in the role as the son of Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) in the 2002 film "The Count of Monte Cristo."

9. Cavill says he has to work hard to keep in shape, admitting he's naturally more on the chubby side.

10. He was a contender for the role of James Bond, but lost out to the bigger-named and appropriately older Daniel Craig.

11. He auditioned for "Batman Begins" and even for "Superman Returns," eventually losing out to Christian Bale and Brandon Routh. Because of this and the Bond loss, Empire Magazine dubbed him "the most unlucky man in Hollywood" in December 2005.

12. Stephenie Meyer originally wanted him to play the role of Edward Cullen in "Twilight," but by the time filming was due to start he was considered too old at 24 to play 17.

13. He's playing the founder-king of Athens, Theseus, in Tarsem Singh's 2011 fantasy film "Immortals."

14. Cavill owns an Aston Martin DBS like the one used in the James Bond films "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace."

15. He enjoys watching the History Channel and National Geographic and shows like "Dexter" and "Battlestar Galactica."

Sources:

Andy Barker, Evening Standard Magazine Interview, October 24, 2008

EW.com, "Must List of 2009"

JustJared.com Interview, April 2, 2009

The Surname Database