Celebrity worship is nothing new—at least, author and former Daily Telegraph literary editor Tom Payne doesn't think so. But a popular TikTok account chronicling the life of a Henry Cavill-obsessed dog proves that celebrity worship isn't exclusive to humans.
Rory the Frenchie first grabbed the internet's attention several years ago with her "temper tantrums." She also made an impression in 2019 after her mom, Heather Land posted a photo of her dressed as a seal.
"Everyone loved that [seal] costume so much," Land told Newsweek. "[And] when I told them [Rory] didn't win any of the costume contests we entered, they were all outraged."
Over the years, Rory has entered costume contests dressed as an Oreo Blizzard, a narwhal and even a gargoyle. And while Rory's online fanbase—she has more than 188,000 TikTok followers—loves seeing her get all dressed up, it's the Frenchie's love for Cavill that has piqued their recent interest.
"Rory has never been one to watch anything on TV," Land said. "But a few weeks ago, I started rewatching The Witcher, and I noticed every time Geralt [played by Henry Cavill] was on screen, she would stare at him. It was so odd to me, so I recorded a few small clips of her watching him and posted [those] to social media."
The first video chronicling Rory's new-found obsession showed the Frenchie ogling at the TV, and has earned over 44,000 views. You can watch the full video here.
"People were wondering if it's the character Geralt that she likes or if she likes Henry Cavill, so I wanted to test that theory," Land told Newsweek. "I played Man of Steel for her so she could see Henry Cavill in a different role, and I was actually shocked that she sat and watched him the entire time he was on."
A video of Rory's Superman viewing showed the dog jumping off the couch so she could get closer to the TV screen. You can watch that here.
Several of Rory's followers theorized that she was attracted to Cavill's voice. So, Land conducted another test.
"I made a silent slideshow with different photos of Cavill, and Rory lovingly stared at the entire slideshow. I was then given a suggestion to put a framed photo of Cavill by her bed—which we refer to as the Tantrum Couch—and she sits and stares at that photo multiple times [a day], every single day," Land said. "It's safe to say she clearly has a love for Henry Cavill."
Remember those costume contests Land mentioned? Well, Rory still competes. In fact, Land recently made the Frenchie a "Geralt of Rivia" costume in honor of her love for Cavill.
"I make her a new costume (or three) every year, [but] she still never wins any of the costume contests we enter, so it's a big running joke at this point," Land said. "Losing costume contests is one of our favorite Fall traditions because even though she loses the contests, everyone online loves all of her costumes."
To see more of Rory's costumes or to watch her drool over Cavill, visit her TikTok page.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more
