Henry Cavill lets his geek flag fly, shows off miniature-painting skills

In a nutshell: If ever there was someone who proved that lovers of all things nerdy no longer conform to outdated stereotypes, it’s Henry Cavill. The Superman and Witcher actor is not only a fan of video games, but he’s also into Games Workshop’s tabletop titles.

Cavill posted a photo on his Instagram account showing him painting a helmet from one of Warhammer’s miniatures. It’s been many years since I’ve played a Warhammer/Warhammer 40K tabletop game, but PC Gamer identifies it as being from the Adeptus Custodes.

 

 

Considering we are, both, going through the Easter period, and going through The Lockdown, I figured it a good time to put a silver lining onto the cloud that is some of the darker moments during this time. So I’ve decided to polish some old skills and try my hand at some new ones! It is a time of rebirth after all. So, as you can see here, the obvious might look a little bit like a tiny helmet…which it is. One of my almost life long hobbies, that I’ve been following but not actively doing, is this. A company called Games Workshop…or plastic crack as “we” call it. Genuinely can’t get enough of the lore they have built over the decades. They have been some of my most enthused reads! If you were in denial about me being a geek before, you can’t hide from it now. Also, in the background of this photo, there may just be some completely new skills I’m working on…..or there may not be, so all of your eye squinting and attempts at digital unfocusing will be in vain….orrrr maybe they won’t. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of the NHS (National Health Service, here in the UK) and healthcare workers worldwide, for your unceasing efforts to protect us. I imagine it might be feeling a little rough right now, but you Ladies and Gents are absolutely smashing it! Keep it up! You got this. “Hold on a second”, I hear you utter…..”if he has both hands in the photo…how is he taking the photo??” New skills, my friends….new skills. #Easter #Passover #GamesWorkshop #ProperGeek #Custodes #NewSkills #NHS #ThankYou #Raggy?

A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on Apr 12, 2020 at 1:34am PDT

“One of my almost life long hobbies, that I’ve been following but not actively doing, is this. A company called Games Workshop… or plastic crack as ‘we’ call it,” he wrote. “Genuinely can’t get enough of the lore they have built over the decades. They have been some of my most enthused reads! If you were in denial about me being a geek before, you can’t hide from it now.”

Cavill went on to thank the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and healthcare workers for their “unceasing efforts to protect us.” He also mentioned some “completely new skills” he’s working on, referencing the background of the photo. It’s too blurry to make out but could be a novel or script.

Cavill’s talked about his love of gaming in the past. His first experience of The Witcher was to play through The Wild Hunt twice, the second time on the hardest difficulty. He’s also completed Total War: Warhammer 2 six times, as six different races.

Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt of Rivia prompted a surge in popularity for The Witcher 3. The five-year-old RPG helped CD Projekt to a bumper 2019, and the PC version outsold all console versions combined last year.