Considered by many (or just me) to be one of the most handsome actors in Hollywood, Henry Cavill has no shortage of fans. His Kansas City-wholesome vibes, enlivened with an English twist, paint him to be much like his Superman counterpart: humble, kind, and ever-so-slightly rough around the edges.
Cavill’s fame — which has now reached a cruising altitude alongside those of James Dean, Cary Grant, and Brad Pitt — comes with an expected amount of probing into his personal life. But even as active as he is on socials, particularly Instagram, the Witcher star still manages to maintain a certain level of privacy, which only adds to his appeal.
On a few occasions, we have been granted quick glimpses into his private life — a tutorial on building gaming computers here, a bit of physical fitness advice there — but most of the time, we are kept respectfully at arm’s length.
For that reason, when a new bit of info is shared about the Superman star’s personal life, it feels like a precious rarity. Such treats include what it was like for him to grow up as one of five brothers. Yes, there are four more Cavills running around in the world, which must hardly have felt like a walk in the park for their parents, Colin Cavill and Marianne Dalgliesh Cavill.
In several interviews on shows like Live with Kelly and Ryan and Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cavill has peeled back the curtain as to what it was like growing up in a household of seven. As it turns out, when a knick-knack wasn’t getting broken, someone’s bones were. And, shockingly, there always seemed to be blood on the walls.
So, who are Henry Cavill’s four brothers?
Before you start thinking that this is a case of the Hemsworths or the Skarsgårds, Henry Cavill’s brothers live much more private lives. For starters, none of them are actors. That begs the question of where Henry fits into the lineup, and who his mysterious brothers are.
Because his brothers live outside the spotlight, their ages have not been confirmed. Figuring who’s who has been an interesting bit of jigsaw work, but I believe I’ve narrowed it down. For starters, we know Cavill is the fourth-youngest.
The oldest brother is presumably Piers Cavill, a former tank commander and ex-army officer, according to The Famous People. The second oldest is Niki Richard Dalgliesh Cavill, whose name we are certain of because he is in the Royal Marines Corps, serving Her Majesty’s Armed Forces in the U.K. Naturally, Niki’s military background blocks a lot of information from being public, so we don’t know much about him other than he’s “a total legend,” according to Henry Cavill via his Instagram.
The brother just above Henry is Simon Cavill, who is four years his senior, making Simon 44 years old at the time of this writing. He reportedly works in finance, but that remains unconfirmed. Next in the lineup is obviously our very own The Witcher star, followed by the youngest Cavill brother, Charlie (pictured below). Charlie owns a luxury coconut-soy blend candle company called Cavill & Wicks.
With this many boys under one roof, it’s no surprise mayhem and destruction followed. In an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Henry Cavill informed Graham that growing up, he and his brothers were “living on the edge of survival.” He supplied this assertion with an example about the time his dad returned home from work one day to discover the wallpaper in the house had suddenly changed. Upon inquiry, Mrs. Cavill simply said, “It’s easier to clean the blood off this wallpaper.”
No punches were ever made to the face, though, Cavill said, but in a house full of five young boys and several stairs, more than a few injuries occurred. Despite their childish fights, it’s clear the actor shared (and still shares) a close bond with his brothers. Back in 2013, when Cavill landed the role of Superman in Man of Steel, he shared that regardless of any success he tastes in his career, he remains grounded thanks to his four brothers, who he says will “kick my a** if I get involved in the glitz and glamour.”