Henry Cavill Confirms That’s ‘Indeed’ His Real Facial Hair in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly

Henry Cavill is clearing the air about his new look in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. And yes, the beard is real.

Speaking with PEOPLE amid the release of the Guy Ritchie period action film, the 40-year-old actor confirms that the beard on his character Gus March-Phillipps is 100% his own facial hair.

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Henry Cavill Confirms That’s ‘Indeed’ His Real Facial Hair in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Exclusive)
“A twirly-whirly mustache became an option and I thought, ‘I’m just going to keep on leaning into this,'” Cavill tells PEOPLE

By Brenton Blanchet and Nigel Smith Updated on April 16, 2024 11:13AM EDT
Henry Cavill in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Henry Cavill in ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’. PHOTO: DANIEL SMITH
Some actors do their own stunts, others grow their own “twirly-whirly” mustaches!

Henry Cavill is clearing the air about his new look in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. And yes, the beard is real.

Speaking with PEOPLE amid the release of the Guy Ritchie period action film, the 40-year-old actor confirms that the beard on his character Gus March-Phillipps is 100% his own facial hair.

“I did indeed grow that myself. I didn’t have someone else grow it and then just take it on,” Cavill says. “I wanted to have an interesting bit of facial hair for this, just to switch things up. And a twirly-whirly mustache became an option and I thought, ‘I’m just going to keep on leaning into this.'”

The film itself finds its star leading a “secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks,” per a synopsis, as they embark on “a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly ‘ungentlemanly’ fighting techniques.”

And the era-specific facial hair, Cavill says, “became quite a fun look, and it sort of helped inform my character a bit as well, because having facial hair like that sort of implies a certain personality.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say unhinged, just to avoid any viewers out there who may have similar facial hair, but in that capacity, maybe,” he jokes. “Maybe eccentric.”