Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill was born on May 5, 1983, in Saint Helier, Jersey, in the Channel Islands. He is a British actor known for his roles in various films and television series. He  grew up in a Roman Catholic family as the fourth of five boys. His mother, Marianne Dalgliesh, is of Scottish, English, and Irish heritage and worked as a secretary in a bank.

His father, Colin Cavill, was born in Chester, England, and is a former stockbroker. Cavill was educated at St Michael's Preparatory School in Saint Saviour, Jersey, before attending Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, England. At Stowe, he was active in both sports and drama, participating in school productions and playing field hockey and rugby.

Henry Cavill began his acting career with roles in the film adaptations of The Count of Monte Cristo in 2002 and I Capture the Castle in 2003.

He also appeared in several television series, including The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Midsomer Murders. His breakthrough role came when he portrayed Charles Brandon in Showtime's The Tudors from 2007 to 2010. This role brought him significant recognition and led to more prominent roles in Hollywood.

In 2013, Henry Cavill gained international fame for his portrayal of Superman in the DC Extended Universe, starting with the film Man of Steel. He reprised this role in subsequent films such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

He also starred as Geralt of Rivia in the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher from 2019 to 2023 and played Sherlock Holmes in the Netflix film Enola Holmes and its sequel.

His personal life has also garnered media attention. He was engaged to British showjumper Ellen Whitaker from 2011 to 2012. In October 2022, he made his first red carpet appearance with his girlfriend, Natalie Viscuso.

He is known for his love of video games, particularly the game series The Witcher, which he played before being cast in the Netflix adaptation. He is also an avid fan of Warhammer and enjoys painting miniatures in his spare time.

Throughout his career, Henry Cavill has received several awards and nominations. He won the MTV Movie Award for Best Hero for his role in Man of Steel in 2014 and was named The Sexiest Man of 2013 by Glamour magazine. He has also been nominated for various awards for his performances in The Witcher and other projects.