Witcher Star Henry Cavill Is A Video Game Nerd - The Straits Times

myST+Menu

Choose edition

SingaporeInternational

Search

singapore

asia

world

opinion

life

business

sport

Visual

Podcasts

SPH Rewards

STClassifieds

Paid press releases

Advertise with us

FAQs

Contact us

 Witcher star Henry Cavill is a video game nerd

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox

In The Witcher, British actor Henry Cavill plays Geralt of Rivia, a super-powered monster-hunter.

PHOTO: NETFLIX

Follow topic:

Actors

Published Dec 15, 2021, 02:30 PM

LOS ANGELES - Moviegoers know Henry Cavill for playing Superman in Man Of Steel (2013) and Justice League (2017), and as the star of action films such as Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018).But fans might be surprised to learn that the English actor also has a bit of a nerdy side as a devout video gamer.And he is something of a loner as well, with an on-set work ethic that led Man Of Steel director Zack Snyder to dub him a "warrior monk".It was Cavill's love of The Witcher role-playing game and the fantasy novels it is based on that led him to chase down the lead role in the Netflix adaptation of the stories - one of the most popular streaming series when it debuted in 2019.The 38-year-old plays Geralt of Rivia, a super-powered monster-hunter known as a "witcher" - a role he reprises when the show returns for a second season on Dec 17.Chatting to The Straits Times by video call from London, Cavill says he has always felt a strong connection to the character. "I've sort of always been a bit of a loner, in a sense."I have a selection of friends built up over the years, but I've never been the person who has thousands of friends I'm always in contact with, and my career has definitely encouraged a more solitary lifestyle, with constant travel and moving about."And his desire to protect people is something that lives in me as well," says the star, who plays Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes franchise (2020 to present).For the second season of The Witcher, the actor wanted to give the gruff and tough Geralt - a man of few words - more of the heft he has in the award-winning books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski."I wanted to make sure the Geralt from the source material existed within the show as much as the vision and plot would allow."So I was regularly tweaking bits of dialogue to give more of an intellectual lean to it rather than just being a sort of grumpy, Shrek-like character. I wanted him to come across as the philosopher he is in the books."And while Cavill is now an A-list movie star, video games are still very much a part of his life."I've always been a gamer. My dad introduced me to PC gaming when I was very young and I have memories of playing games with my brother at the dining table," says the star, who grew up in the Channel Islands off the England coast."I remember installing games on those large square floppy disks and it taking forever, and loving those as well. So it's been a part of me for a long time."Cavill admits there is some truth to tales of his extraordinary discipline on set, especially when it comes to physically preparing for action-heavy roles, his dedication to which has left a lasting impression on directors such as Snyder."When I go into my discipline space, I can very much be monk-like. When I get into my training processes, I'm determined to do the job and no task is too great," says the star.But then acting - at least the way Cavill does it - is much more difficult than many people might imagine, and this is what the actor says when anyone asks for career advice."Acting requires an awful lot of hard work, and there's a lot of exposure now with the advent of the smartphone," says the star, who is dating Hollywood executive Natalie Viscuso, 32."It's something I would say you really have to make sure you love, because if you do make it big and become famous, your life will change."It's a bit like Pandora's box. Once it's open, it's open, and you have to be prepared for that. But if you love it, go for it."

See more on

ActorsTelevisionBack to top

E-paper

Newsletters

Podcasts

RSS Feed

About Us

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Need help? Reach us here.

Advertise with us

Download the appGet unlimited access to exclusive stories and incisive insights from the ST newsroomSubscribeMDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2025 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.