Henry Cavill's 'Highlander' Scottish Accent Is Officially "Bang On," Says Co-Star [Exclusive]

Henry Cavill's next challenge might yet be his biggest ever. He's taken on the role of Superman, he's brought The Witcher to life, he's literally battled Tom Cruise to the death on the edge of a cliff, and he's even been Sherlock Holmes. None of those are quite as difficult as his latest: convincing Scottish people that his accent in Chad Stahelski's upcoming Highlander reboot is authentic. After all, while the original movie remains a cult classic, its famously questionable Scottish accents have been a source of amusement for decades, but one of Cavill's co-stars has reassured the Caledonian people that Cavill is taking it very seriously.

Speaking exclusively with Collider while promoting her new comedy Let's Have Kids!, Karen Gillan revealed that Cavill's Scottish accent as Connor MacLeod is "bang on," and confessed she's ruthless when it comes to judging other actors' work on screen when it comes to the notoriously tricky accent to master. Gillan, who plays Heather in the upcoming reboot, also praised the movie's screenplay, suggesting that the new version actually improves on certain elements of the original.

"I'm pretty judgy when it comes to people doing Scottish accents," Gillan admitted, explaining that it's incredibly easy for actors to slip into caricature, citing Austin Powers' notorious Fat Bastard. However, Cavill apparently passed her test with flying colors. "When I listened to Henry, I was like, 'This is pretty bang on.'" She added that the actor was particularly determined to get the details right, recalling that "he was very, like, vigilant about getting it right," even correcting people who mispronounced Gaelic during production. Gillan also revealed that she approached the screenplay with some skepticism because of her affection for the original movie, but came away convinced that Stahelski's version has something special to offer.

"And the film's going to be beautiful. I mean, I love the script so much, and I love the original so much. I was also judging the script harshly, and I read it, and I was like, 'You know what? Actually, there are some improvements here that are going to make it even better.' Combine that with Chad Stahelski's amazing action sequence skills from the director of John Wick. Like, it's just sort of, for me, it's such a winning combination."

More than anything, though, Gillan was wowed by something simple and wholesome: the production allowed her to return to Scotland for a major Hollywood movie. "I got to shoot a Hollywood blockbuster in my neck of the woods with school friends, and then going off to set," she recalled. "I was like, 'This is the life. This is it.'"

Karen Gillan and Zoë Chao Get Personal About 'Let's Have Kids'!

Gillan's latest movie is a considerably smaller affair than Highlander, although its subject matter turned out to be surprisingly personal. Directed by Adam Sztykiel, Let's Have Kids! stars Gillan and Zoë Chao as Emma and Phoebe, lifelong best friends who decide to become pregnant at the same time so they can experience motherhood together, but when only one of them conceives, their meticulous plans begin falling apart, putting their friendship under enormous pressure. It was especially personal for Gillan, who, in a pure coincidence, had just discovered she was pregnant when production began:

"I mean, for me, it was a slightly surreal experience because I had just gotten pregnant for the first time when making this film, so I was just fighting my way through the first trimester. But also, what was wonderful about the film was that it was like a lesson in how to be pregnant through Zoe's character, and so it felt like prep in some way."

Chao revealed that the pair had already discussed their plans to become mothers before filming, making their on-screen friendship feel particularly authentic. "We actually went and got brunch, and we were talking before the movie, and we were talking about how we both wanted to start having babies," she recalled. Both actresses were at similar points in their lives, and Chao admitted that it was particularly special to look back on the experience now that "we both have sweet little girls."

The actresses also praised their experience working together, with Gillan explaining that Chao's natural ability made her own performance considerably easier. "All I have to do is just watch and listen to Zoe, and I don't have to worry about my own acting because she's just so brilliant and funny and the most charming person you're ever going to meet in your life," said Gillan. The comedy also stars Sam Richardson (The Afterparty), Max Greenfield (New Girl), KJ Apa (Riverdale) and Mary Steenburgen (Step Brothers).

Let's Have Kids! is available now on digital platforms. Highlander will open next year.