Henry Cavill: Twenty Pounds Heavier As Superman

When director Tarsem Singh cast Henry Cavill as the lead in the The Immortals, out today, he had to convince studio execs to take a chance on a relatively unknown actor. Months into shooting, however, Cavill was cast as Superman in Man of Steel (due in 2013), and suddenly no one else needed convincing. The only thing left for Cavill to do before donning Superman's iconic red-and-blue tights was to transform his lithe Immortals body into, well, a bulky man of steel.

"I am twenty pounds heavier as Superman," Cavill told USA Today, "but just as lean." Having already endured an intense work-out regimen to get the lean, ripped "eight pack" look in The Immortals, Cavill had to begin intense, weight-heavy training — including a high-calorie dietary regimen — to pack on Superman's pounds.

Cavill, hitherto best known for his role as Charles Brandon on Showtime's The Tudors, said that his physical transformations have cost him some old rags. "I genuinely had to throw my clothes out, since my shoulders are too big and my waist is too small. Everything just doesn't fit like it used to. I have never been this big." With starring roles in two epic action movies, Cavill's getting bigger in more ways than one.

Watch the video interview here: