How Henry Cavill Got Revenge on His Childhood Bully

Henry Cavill didn’t always look like he does now. In fact, there was a time in the Man of Steel actor’s past when he was teased for his appearance. But although Cavill has come far from his childhood years, in an old interview he revealed how he couldn’t help but to stick it to an old nemesis.

Henry Cavill was bullied for being overweight

Cavill has opened up on several occasions about how he dealt with being teased. Before the star’s body was made out of muscles and rippling abs, he was singled out for being overweight.

“I was teased and it was hard,” Cavill said in an interview with People.

But The Witcher star stated he doesn’t hold any ill will towards his childhood bullies. Especially since he feels there are others out there given a bad hand.

“Even though for some it may be malicious, I think it’s just kids being kids, and I don’t hold any grudges,” Cavill said. “People have had it far worse than me.”

Cavill also credits his childhood experience for giving him enough perspective to benefit him as he’s gotten older. It’s not only shaped him as a person, but it’s had an unintended effect on his talent as well.

“It helped me read people very well, which has helped me in this industry. If I can understand the inner workings of a human being, then I can probably be a better actor.”

Cavill may not hold any grudges towards his childhood bullies, but when he came across one of his bullies years later, he couldn’t help but get the last laugh. One that was decades in the making.

How Henry Cavill got back at his childhood bully

According to The Huffington Post, Cavill opened up about how he got back at his childhood bully. Which the Man from U.N.C.L.E star did by not acknowledging his old nemesis at all.

“I’ve had a couple of awkward moments where I’ve seen one in the room and deliberately ignored him and really enjoyed it,” Cavill said to The Sun according to The Huffington Post. “He kept looking over and trying to make eye contact and I just kept on blanking him.”

As awkward as it was, Cavill admitted that he enjoyed the brief interaction and the comeuppance that came with it.

Childhood bullying made Henry Cavill self-critical of his body

Henry Cavill has turned the negative experiences of bullying into a positive one. But although he sees many ways that bullying has built his character, he admits it’s made him critical of his appearance sometimes. Talking to The Guardian, Cavill confided in how even when he hit adulthood, childhood taunts would still affect him. When girlfriends would say his weight was fine, he couldn’t believe them.

“I’m very self-critical and I use that to motivate myself,” Cavill said. I tell myself, ‘Mate, you’re a mess. If you were to meet a bird out in a bar and bring her home, she’s expecting Superman. This is not Superman and she’s going to be mega-disappointed.”