'Man of Steel' Henry Cavill Was Bullied as a Kid

The new Superman Henry Cavill is from Jersey – but not the Jersey you're thinking of -- and the Brit Man of Steel star is surprisingly candid with ET's Rob Marciano about how being bullied as a kid and being called "Fat Cavill."

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"What kid didn't get picked on at some stage? Kids are kids," says the 30-year-old Cavill, who confirms that he was overweight as a kid. "That's the wonder about being a kid and the terrible thing, is that everyone's stretching and flexing their social muscles, and I don't hold any grudges against guys who were making those decisions back then. As adults now, I'm sure they're lovely people. But kids are cruel. Kids are mean. Kids are just trying stuff out."

The Tudors and Immortals star takes on the title role in the Zack Snyder-directed/Christopher Nolan-produced film that delivers a darker, more psychological take on the Superman saga as he takes on Kryptonian villains General Zod (Michael Shannon) and Faora (Antje Traue).

"I wasn't prepared for it," laughs Cavill about landing the coveted role of a lifetime, which he maintains is still surreal to think about at times. "I was prepared for no, because that's all I ever got for the big jobs in the past, and that's what I knew I could deal with. I wasn't prepared for yes."

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Also starring Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, Russell Crowe as the Man of Steel's father, Jor-El, and Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Supe's adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, Man of Steel soars into theaters June 14.