Whether he is on set or in his home, Henry Cavill is surrounded by fantasy and all things nerdy. This British actor is also dearly cherished by the fans of the same genre that he loves so much himself. An ardent reader, he loves exploring enchanting hidden worlds in books. And when he’s not doing that, he’s embracing his passion for virtual worlds through games. From conventions to gaming, all his pursuits have one thing in common. You guessed it, it’s fantasy.

Often spotted with his dog on social media, the Man of Steel actor even named his dog after Superman’s birth name, Kal-El. The 40-year-old’s fascination with fantasy has obviously influenced his career choices as well. But have you ever wondered what influenced him to fall in love with this genre in the first place?

The family member that started it all

In an interview with Josh Horowitz, the Enola Holmes actor speaks of his childhood days. When asked about who helped him build his interests in life, the actor reveals “It’s gotta be my dad, absolutely..” He reveals that not only did his father get him into reading fantasy at an early age, but they also read the same books to this day. Recalling one of his earliest childhood memories, he explains how his dad would read him short stories and how those stories would later go on to become life lessons.

An avid gamer, Cavill is known to actively enjoy medieval-themed games like Warhammer and World of Warcraft. He also credits this love for PC gaming to his dad, a pleasure he doesn’t get to enjoy anymore owing to “adulting”. What’s more, his dad also introduced him to his biggest influence from the world of Hollywood.

He also reveals how he grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with his father and brother. This was what lead him to falling in love with one of the franchise’s most notable actors.

Henry Cavill opens up to his idol about school time struggles

Besides his father, the The Tudors actor reveals that Patrick Stewart was a figure who he had come to idolize. And lucky for him, he had previously gotten a chance to actually interview the very same idol too. Besides some hilariously awkward moments, his interview with the X-Men actor was heart-touching. In the conversation, he speaks to Stewart about his time in school and the “serious impact” it had on his career.

Explaining how he didn’t have an easy time being social, he tells Stewart, “my personality wasn’t considered cool.” He goes on to say how, owing to the good infrastructure at his school, acting became a “wonderful outlet” for him. He was able to engage in theater which later went on to become his safe space.

Fans clearly have Henry Cavill’s father to thank for introducing him to the world that we enjoy watching him in so much. After all, our favorite series and movies would not be half as good without him in them.