Seriously? This man was once fat? Never!

“Man of Steel” actor Henry Cavil dishes to Men’s Health on wearing the cape, not being James Bond and once being a chubby kid.

Here’s the greatest hits:

On Being Fat:
The superhero began life a chubby little boy. As a child in England, Henry Cavill was known as “Fat Cavill.” “It’s definitely a shitty nickname,” Cavill says, seated in a Chicago sidewalk cafe. “But kids are kids. Kids are cruel. Whatever. I was fat.”

On Playing The Man of Steel:
Technically, Man of Steel isn’t Cavill’s first time wearing Superman’s cape. About 7 years ago he was cast as Clark Kent (and alter ego) in the last update of the franchise, Superman Returns. But when the original director, McG, abruptly quit, Cavill was gone with him. As it turned out, that flaccid sequel to the Christopher Reeve series proved to be kryptonite for the career of its replacement star, Brandon Routh.

“He’s definitely more Superman now than he was 7 years ago, I think,” says Man of Steel director Zack Snyder. “He has been the rock that we can build this movie around.” That rock didn’t spend the past few years sitting around. “I want to be chosen, not wish I was part of something,” Cavill says. “I didn’t pine over the fact that I didn’t get the last one. It was ‘move on, carry on,’ whatever!”

On Not Being James Bond.
<textbox>His other high-profile letdown: losing the role of James Bond to Daniel Craig just a year after losing Superman Returns. “I obviously wasn’t right for Bond,” Cavill admits now, secure that he gave it his all. “I did, and I wasn’t right. That’s all.”