Below are 20 little known facts about The Witcher’s Henry Cavill.

20 He Was Actually Turned Down For The First Superman Role He Auditioned For

After Henry Cavill starred as Superman in Man of Steel, it’s hard to imagine any other actor playing the role. However, he actually lost the original role he auditioned for to actor Brandon Routh. Routh was cast in Superman: Flyby. While Brandon Routh wanted to continue as Superman, he then ended up losing out to Henry for Man of Steel.

19 He Struggles With His American Accent

Since he’s from England, Henry Cavill has had to develop an American accent for the majority of his roles. It might not seem like it, but he actually struggles quite a bit with it. He admitted in an interview that he still has days where he has to have a voice coach correct him while filming.

18 He’s Actually Really Close With Jason Momoa

By now, the majority of people have seen the viral photo of Jason Momoa seemingly lining up to take down Henry Cavill on the red carpet. What most people probably don’t know is that the two actors are actually really close. Henry has made no secret of the fact that he’s a huge fan of the Aquaman star.

17 His Body Is Based On Hercules

Superman is a larger than life character (I mean, he is from space, after all) so Henry Cavill has had to develop quite the physique to fit the role. In an interview with Muscle and Fitness, Henry’s trainer, Mark Twight, said they based his physique off of actor Steve Reeves in Hercules (1958).

16 He Was The Fan Favorite For 50 Shades of Grey

When it was announced that the 50 Shades of Grey series was coming to theatres, fans were quick to make assumptions about who would be playing the role of Christian Grey. The fan fave was (by far) Henry Cavill, but the role ended up going to Jamie Dornan. The two actors do bear a striking resemblance to each other, though.

15 He Loves To Run

Other than spending hours a day in the gym to maintain his superhero physique, Henry Cavill is also quite the runner. He loves to support fundraisers, so he often runs road races for charity. Here, he’s participating in the Durrell Challenge, a 13k road race to help support endangered wildlife.

14 He Played Sonny In “Grease”

Superman wasn’t the first American role Henry Cavill played. When he started acting back in high school, by participating in school theatre productions, he played the role of Sonny in the classic musical, Grease. Recognizable due to his jet black hair, he’s pictured here near the center of the photo, in the white jacket.

13 He Loves Video Games…

Henry Cavill comes off as a very refined gentleman, certainly not the type to spend hours playing video games. But that’s actually what he enjoys doing the most. He admitted in an interview with GQ that he would rather stay home and play video games than go out. His favorite include Skyrim, World of Warcraft, and even The Witcher, which he now stars in.

12…So Much He Almost Lost Out On Superman Because Of Them

His video game addiction goes so far that, while he was waiting for a phone call to see if he landed the role in Man of Steel, he started a game of World of Warcraft. He explained to Jay Leno that you can’t pause the game, so, when director Zack Snyder called to confirm he had gotten the role, he ignored it! Obviously, he called him back…and the rest is history.

11 His School Nickname Was “Fat Cavill”

With a body like Henry Cavill’s, it’s hard to imagine he ever looked any different. Despite this, he was actually the chubby kid in school, and even had the nickname of “Fat Cavill”. He eventually used the bullying to fuel his motivation to change. He began playing rugby and acting to regain confidence.

10 He’s An Animal Advocate…

Henry Cavill is a huge advocate for animals and endangered species. He spends a lot of his time working with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and frequently participates in the Durrell Challenge to help fundraise. He even has his own website, where you can join his “gorilla family” to help raise awareness.

9…And Even Adopted A Bat Named Ben

Along with being an ambassador for the Durrell Wildlife Trust, Henry Cavill even adopted their Livingstone’s fruit bat. According to the trust, these bats are among the most endangered, so Cavill adopted the creature to raise awareness. He named the bat Ben, after his costar in the movie, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice…Ben Affleck.

8 Stephenie Meyer Wanted Him To Play Edward Cullen

When Stephenie Meyer was in the process of bringing her Twilight saga to theatres, she had one actor in mind to play Edward…Henry Cavill. Early in production, she claimed the only actor she could see playing the character was Henry. He ended up opting out of the role, due to production delays, so he was never formally cast.

7 He Has Four Brothers

Henry Cavill has quite a large family. The actor has four brothers, Piers, Nik, Charlie, and Simon. The second oldest of the five, Nik, has taken on a real-life Superman role, by being a decorated soldier in the Royal Marines. He’s completed tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and even led an operation to capture a Taliban commander.

6 He Almost Starred In Harry Potter

There are many roles that Henry Cavill almost played and one of them was a big role in the Harry Potter series. Cavill almost played the role of Cedric Diggory in the fourth movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He was eventually considered too old to play the role, and (once again) was replaced by Robert Pattinson.

5 Acting Wasn’t His First Career Choice

Before he landed on acting, Henry Cavill wanted to take a more educational approach to his career. He said in an interview that he had an interest in ancient history, which led him to consider getting a degree in history or Egyptology. He planned to complete his degree with the help of the armed forces, which he hoped to join afterward.

4 He Has A Dog Named After Superman

After Henry adopted his dog in 2014 and named it Kal, people were quick to jump to the conclusion that he named it after Superman’s actual name, Kal-El. He claims his four-legged pal is not named after his superhero character, but we can’t help but think his pet’s moniker is just too much of a coincidence…

3 He’s Fluent In Four Languages

Mastering another accent is already tough enough for the average person, let alone a whole other language. But Henry Cavill is not your average man. He’s actually fluent in four languages, English, Spanish, French and Italian. His deep interest in different cultures is probably the reason for his eclectic language skills.

2 He Enjoys Dancing After A Few Drinks

As a man with very good looks, you’d think he would have the confidence to do just about anything, including busting a few moves on the dance floor. However, in an interview with Cosmopolitan Magazine, Henry admitted that he feels awkward dancing, although after a few drinks he actually really enjoys it.

1 He Doesn’t Like To Date

Unfortunately for all the single people out there, odds just became smaller for a chance with Henry Cavill. He isn’t much of a dater; he knows exactly what he likes, which makes things easier. He claims he’s a sucker for confident women. He likes those who don’t feel the need to put up a front.