GQ Australia - 08.2018

AUGUST 2018GQ.COM.AU 101

We’reanhouroutofLondononabizarre,grittypatchoflandthat

onceservedastheheadquartersforasecuritycompany,butisnowa

chameleonicilming location for television shows, movies, and, yes,

magazine photo shoots.

There’salottolikeaboutHenryCavill,theactorandphoto-shoot

subject. He’s unfalteringly handsome: an unimpeachable 6’0” with

hairthatcurlsjustso,acomic-book-hero jaw, and a nose dimple that

somehowreally,reallyworksforhim.

Evidently,anabundanceofcastingdirectorsagree.Afterbeing

hand-pickedfromhisschooltoplayaroleinThe Count of Monte

Cristo,hechurnedhiswaythroughawealthofsupporting

characters (see:Tr i s t a n & I sol d e;Stardust) before beginning his run

of casting near-misses.

Nowenteringhispost-Supermanactingprime,Cavillhasaskillset

that’sperfectlyofitstime.He’sactedbigandsmall.He’sdonethe

leading man thing, convincingly. He’s done the charming cad thing,

convincingly. Maybe more importantly, he’s healthily meme-able – a

crucialskillinthe2018celebrityplaybook.(Thiswas

best demonstrated by the iasco that saw hisMission: Impossible-

contract-mandated moustache poorly CGI’d out of some of his

scenes inJustice League.)

ManyoftheseskillscometotheforeinhisGQcovershoot.Heleans

backonachair,anglinghisbouldershouldersjustright.Dressedin

Zegna,hispowerposeonpoint.Atonestage,whenthecrewwantstoget

Cavillnexttosomehorses,heshowssomethoroughbredcompetence.

Afashionassistantiscaughtwrist-deepinthemouthofonehorse.

The great creature snapped up a Nespresso-sized sugar cube from her

palmanddidn’twanttoletgo.Cavillhashismoment,placingahand

onitsforeheadandanothernearitsnose,calmingitdownwith a irm

voice,allwhilewearingaTomFordknitandPradaloafers.

Womenswoon.Menswoon.Theshowgoeson.

An hour later, whenGQ’sfashioneditortakesagentlefall,after

stepping on loose tiling, Cavill bolts across a lawn to help her to her

feet. (44.‘Become someone’s hero’.)

SpeakingwithHenryCavillislikewhenyougotdraggedinto

aparent-teachermeetingandweretryingtomusterupthemost

polished,moststudiousversionofyourself.Hespeaksinthisbassy,

royal British accent, and reaches for words like ‘idolatry’ when boring

old‘adoration’wouldhavedonethejob.

SpeakingwithHenryCavillisalsofrustrating.He’spersistentinhis

politeness, persistent in hislawlessness. It’s incredibly pleasant to be

around,butalsofeelsalittlelikeacharacter–alikeableone,but

maybeatouchunderwritten.You’dsayCavillisasinfallibleas
Superman. But, Superman had  Kryptonite; it’s not yet clear what

Cavill’s might be.

Anyhow,forwhateverreason,Cavillisneverterriblyenthused

abouttalking.ItwashintedatinJersey.SotoowhenIwasinformed

thatourinterviewwouldbetakingplaceinthesesecurityheadquarters,

rather than in London. And it was conirmed when Cavill’s manager

announcedtheneedtositinonourinterview.

So,thethreeofussitinadustyoficethatprobablyhasn’tbeenused

forhalfadecade;theblindsalittledilapidated,thecarpetworn,theonly

furnishingsthethreewholesale-bought,long-forgottenoficechairs.

AsIsetmyphoneonrecord,itstartstofeelasifI’mabouttogetDorff’d.

“It’sbettertostepaway,”saysCavillwhenaskedwhetherhereads

hisowninterviews.“Alotofstuff,in the written word, sounds

verydifferentfromtheintention.”

Cavillisstillalittlereluctanttoopenup.

WhenaskedwhatavisithometoJerseygiveshim,he says it acts as

achancetorelectonhowhe’schanged each year.

So, how has he changed this year?

“The usual things, that people change every year.”

Anything more speciic?

“Youstarttorelectonthepastandconsider the future while

enjoying the present.” (6.‘Keep secrets’.)

Again,weareempathetic.Cavilliscomingoffalongrunofwork:

Mission: Impossible – Fallout(thesixthinstalmentoftheTomCruise-

ledaction-ilmfranchiseinwhichheplaysamoustachioedfoilto

Cruise’s eternal Ethan Hunt) – was a marathon shoot, and it’s about to

enter a marathon publicity tour.

Cavill spent a year working with Tom Cruise, and says precisely

what so many say about Cruise.

“Tomhasgotthisincredibleenergy.He’sverycharmingandvery

engaging.Hewillrememberdetailsofyourirstmeetingwhichyoudon’t

remember.You’repersonnumber600thathemetthatday,buthe’ll

rememberyourdog’snameandthatyourbrotherwasunwellthatday.”

Sufice to say, when you’re managing aMission: Impossibleworkload,

andblockbuster-sizeddemand,youneedtodrawlines.

So,HenryCavillhasboundaries.Hewon’tposeforphotosatairports

because,intheeventofamobforming,he’drathernothideinatoilet.

Hewon’tposeforphotosatthegym,either–in-betweensetsis‘me’

time,andthat’sfair.Hewon’ttextatthedinnertable–notunlesshe’s

askedpermissioninadvance( 21 .‘Don’tallowthephonetointerrupt

importantmoments.It’sthereforourconvenience,notthecaller’s’).

Hehasanextraordinarilytightcircleoffriends,andthey’retightly

curated.He’sheardthe,‘You’vechanged’thingbefore,andifyou’re

saying that, you already don’t get it, and you may not have really ever

been friends.

Hisrealfriends?Theygetit.“Theygo,‘Wow!Heisworkedtothe

bone. Poor guy. I wonder how we can support him.’ Rather than,

‘What’s wrong with you?’”

WhatreallystartedthatworkingtothebonewasSuperman–DC

Comics’ best rebuttal to the Marvel juggernaut. The week Cavill got

therole,hewascalm–therewasnosenseofpanic.Maybethat’sbecause

hefelt,justalittle,thathehadafairbitincommonwithSuperman.

“I love everything he stands for. It was wonderful to have part of my

personality fall so in line with a character I can play,” he says.

Andwhatdoeshestandfor?

“Hestandsforthebestinallofus.Idon’tjustmeanindividually,but

inthewaythat...whenweareatourbest,everyoneelsearoundusis

alsoattheirbest.Andthat’swhatSupermandoes:hedoesn’tjustsave

the day, he saves the day and makes you feel fantastic enough that you

can save the day.”

Of course, playing Superman doesn’t necessarily inspire all onlookers

to be at their best. Cavill says he’s had a rough time with the press.

“Thatstillsurprisesmetothisday,”hesays.“It’sbasicallylike

following someone into a lavatory after they’ve inished in there, and

“It’s wonderful

to have part of my

personality fall in

line with acharacter

I can play.”