Henry Cavill was looking “to reinvigorate my love for film-making” when the opportunity to join the cast of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare came along. He only needed to hear two words – or just one name in fact – to convince him to sign on: Guy Ritchie. “When I heard that Guy was doing this, it was an immediate draw,” the actor says.
“I wanted to get back into a job which was going to be the most enjoyable and really sort of get my creative juices flowing again,” says Cavill, who starred in The Witcher for three seasons from 2019. “For me, my most enjoyable job has probably been The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with Guy and arguably my best job as well. And so the opportunity to come back on a project like this to work with Guy with this sort of subject matter was a no-brainer for me. And so I jumped in with both feet very eagerly.”
In The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a spy action comedy based on the true story of a secret British World War II organisation, the 41-year-old English actor stars as Gus March-Phillipps. The film focuses on the events surrounding Operation Postmaster, a secret and disruptive mission led by March-Phillipps to sink a crucial Nazi supply ship. March-Phillipps was one of the inspirations behind Ian Fleming’s iconic character James Bond – another role Cavill was once in close contention to play in 2006’s Casino Royale.
Cavill says he found March-Phillipps a fascinating person and felt a sense of duty to represent properly the people like him who served in these missions. But he also wanted to put “that sense of fun into these characters as well as the danger” They were extraordinary people, “but they were also slightly mad”, Cavill adds.
“The wonderful thing about Guy Ritchie is that he’s excellent at crafting character,” Cavill explains. “But you can’t just be excellent at crafting character. There have to be people who can pull that off. And this team of actors is very good at pulling that off. They bring their own little piece of something to each of these roles, which make them unique, and not just a carbon copy of something that Guy’s trying to portray. Everyone has their challenges as a character and everyone fills their role so wonderfully.”
Among the cast Cavill enjoyed playing alongside was Reacher star Alan Ritchson, whose biceps deserve credits of their own.
“Alan is wonderful to work with,” Cavill says. “I’ve been looking forward to working with him for a while. I saw him in Reacher – I thought his work was absolutely fantastic in that, and I was keen to see what kind of actor he is. And he’s a very intelligent actor. He’s very thoughtful. He’s done his homework. He cares. He’s subtle. He’s nuanced. And that’s a pleasure to work with. And he’s also very funny. He’s a lovely chap. Lovely to be around on set. So yeah, I’m looking forward to work with him again someday..
Another highlight of the project for Cavill was shooting on a boat on the water, rather than in front of a green screen or relying on special effects. “I love the water,” he says with a smile. “And so the opportunity to actually be on the sea again while shooting was extraordinary. It really helps sell the world and the feeling, and so you can really get in touch with it.
“Also, it creates a wonderful bond between cast and crew and everyone on that particular vessel because we’re not getting to just disappear off to our various corners. We’re on the boat all day long, come rain or shine. It feels like a real camaraderie gets built that way. And this is such a magnificent crew. Everyone is so good at what they do and they have such a good approach to it. The only other movie I’ve laughed so much on was The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
Meet the cast of the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
A stellar lineup takes on the cast of extraordinary real life characters. Alan Ritchson, the star of Reacher, plays Anders Lassen a decorated Danish soldier who was handy with a bow and arrow and had little time for rules. Eiza González shines as Marjorie Stewart, an actress-turned-sharpshooter who played a key role in the planning of the mission.
The second-in-command of Operatios Postmaster Geoffrey Appleyard is played by Alex Pettyfer while Freddy Fox takes on the role of James Bond creator Ian Flemming.
Where to watch The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is streaming now on Prime Video. Stream it on Prime Video from $9.99/mth, with a 30-day free trial.
