7 Best Henry Cavill Roles To Date
3. Charles Brandon - The Tudors
Though not his first role by any means, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk on the Showtime series The Tudors would solidify Cavill in Hollywood as a bankable lead. He is one of only two characters to appear in every episode of the show, along with King Henry.
Cavill's Brandon is very much a playboy as the show begins, working his way through the ladies of court and even falling out with his close friend, the King, by marrying Princess Margaret. This is turned around in subsequent seasons.
As the show progresses, he becomes a more mature character, taking on the role of controlling the King's forces. He is shown as devious, conspiring against Anne Boleyn, played by Natalie Dormer, and Cardinal Wolsey, played by Sam Neill. This brings him back into Henry's good graces.
Back in season one, as Cavill himself phrased it in one interview, he 'can't keep his dick in his pants'. He was to be portrayed as Henry's only real rival who had no fear of reprisal, as the two men had grown up together. The camaraderie between Cavill and Jonathan Rhys Meyers is palpable.
He credits much of the performance with what he learned from prep school, where he had learned a love of the stage. For him, it was either acting or the military - as Duke of Suffolk, he seems to have had it both ways!