Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill ( KAV-əl; born 5 May 1983) is a British actor. He gained wide recognition for portraying Superman in the DC Extended Universe (2013–2023), beginning with the film Man of Steel (2013) and reprising the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and Black Adam (2022). Cavill made his television debut in 2002 with a role on The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. He then played Charles Brandon in the Showtime series The Tudors (2007–2010), which earned him critical acclaim. He has since starred as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's The Witcher (2019–2023). Cavill began his film career in 2001 with a role in Laguna and later starred as Theseus in Immortals (2011), as Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), as Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes film series (2020–present), and as Gus March-Phillipps in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024). His other film credits include the action film Night Hunter (2018) and the spy films Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), and Argylle (2024).