'Man Of Steel' (And Sex Appeal): A Henry Cavill Hotness Timeline
Man of Steel debuts in theaters nationwide today which means people everywhere will be introduced to a brand new Superman and women (and men) everywhere will discover just how much they want to sleep with Henry Cavill. I'm not joking.
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Sure, the special effects are great and it's wonderful to see Superman on the big screen today, but Henry Cavill's hotness is unreal. Also unreal? The fact that people are acting like he came out of nowhere. Cavill's hotness might have crescendoed to supernova levels of intensity in Man of Steel, but he has over a decade of making the ladies and gents swoon. He may have started as a pretty boy seducing older women, but he's evolved into a legitimate sexual Superman.
Laguna (2001)
Cavill's first film role was in an independent film called Laguna. He played an orphan who had been exiled to the United States and then when he was 18, he was allowed to return to Italy. Naturally, there were dark secrets about his parents' deaths. Oh, and he fell in love with his uncle's wife (a.k.a. his aunt) and licked cream off some other girl.
Cavil wasn't the buff man we know as the Man of Steel, but he did give great make out scenes:
[Photo: Kingsborough Pictures]
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
About 10 years ago, one of my best friends in high school had a Jim Caviezel thing (don't ask), so I went with her to see The Count of Monte Cristo. It was an okay film. Then, towards the end, Caviezel's teenaged son emerged. I was transfixed. I turned to my friend and said, "WHO IS THAT CUTE GUY?"
It was Henry Cavill. The point of this story is that since next to no one saw Laguna in theaters, I saw Henry Cavill first. He wasn't even that hot in The Count of Monte Cristo. He was more pretty and puppyish. Still, I saw the potential.
[Photo: Touchstone Pictures & Spyglass Entertainment]
I Capture The Castle (2003)
Henry Cavill's hotness exponentially grew when he was Stephen in I Capture The Castle.
If you haven't read Dodie Smith's original book or seen this gorgeous adaptation of it (which features Rose Byrne, Romola Garai, Bill Nighy and a grown up Elliott from E.T.), you may want to leave your computer now and get thee to a library.
The story is about the young, literary minded Cassandra, the daughter of a famous (but now failed) writer who lives in poverty in a decrepit castle in the 1930s. Her older sister tries to marry the wealthy guy living in the manor next door, but it's really Cassandra who feels anything for her sister's fiance. Further complicating things is Stephen, a poor, painfully sweet boy who has always served Cassandra's family. The two were always best friends, but Stephen falls deeply in love with Cassandra, who can't reciprocate. Stephen is one of the dreamiest characters in modern literature, and Henry Cavill nailed the part --- especially in this scene:
[Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films]
Tristan + Isolde (2006)
Do you remember Tristan + Isolde? James Franco and Sophia Myles? Game of Thrones meets Romeo & Juliet? The best wedding dress ever? (It's okay if you don't. I think my mom is the only person who remembers this movie.)
Anyway, Henry Cavill showed up as Tristan's best friend, Melot (which is one letter away from being Merlot, and the love of my life) and rocked some serious Westeros-worthy hair.
Whatever Works (2009)
A few years later, he was cleaned up and wooing Evan Rachel Wood in Woody Allen's Whatever Works. (There were also a few small parts in flicks like Stardust, where he played the foppish Lord Butterknife, but Lord Butterknife isn't hot, so he's not here.)
[Photo: 20th Century Fox & Sony Pictures Classics]
The Tudors (2007-2010)
Aw, did you think Cavill was sleeping between 2006 and 2009? Nope. Well, I mean, he was sleeping with a lot of women on Showtime's The Tudors. On the show, he played Henry VIII's best friend, Charles Brandon, and he seduced a lot of women…and showed a lot of skin. And for that, we thank him.
[Photo: Showtime]
Dunhill Spokesperson (2008-2009)
Cavill was also doing some modeling and stuff for Dunhill. The ads are pretty sexy (and very British).
AND
[Photo: Dunhill]
Immortals (2011)
After The Tudors, Cavill played Theseus in Tarsem's bizarre, yet beautiful "Greek myth" epic, Immortals. I saw this a few weeks ago and I can't really explain the plot. I just know that Henry Cavill spends most of the film without a shirt (and covered in grease).
You're welcome.
[Photo: Relativity Media]
Man of Steel (2013)
Finally, we come to Man of Steel. See, over the years, Henry Cavill has been cute. He's been sweet. He's been a little bit dirty. He's been seductive. He's been shirtless. But it wasn't until he donned Superman's cape in Man of Steel did he transcend all measurements of hotness.
[Photo: DC Films/Warner Bros.]