Buzz
Although Nicolas Cage is often seen as a comedic meme today, there was a time when he was a powerhouse in Hollywood with unforgettable movies. Known for mixing humor, action, and his unique brand of weirdness, Cage's roles left a lasting impression. Fans are eagerly awaiting his return to a role where he can truly showcase his talent. Until then, here are some interesting tidbits about his extensive filmography, shedding light on the enigmatic actor.
10. Gone In 60 Seconds
Gone In 60 Seconds brought us Angelina Jolie, a blonde Nicolas Cage playing Memphis Raines, and a storyline that mirrored a lighter version of Fast and Furious. Who could forget Eleanor, the 1967 Ford Mustang GT500? Originally planned to be a Ford GT40, the car was re-imagined by production designer Jeff Mann, hotrod expert Steven Stanford, and car designer Chip Foose. To prevent it from being overshadowed by the Ferraris, Jaguars, and Lamborghinis featured in the movie, Eleanor got a 'Hollywood' makeover. What many don’t know is that 12 specially modified Mustangs were built for the film, but only 7 made it through all the stunts. The iconic scene of Cage speeding through an intersection while driving Eleanor was made possible by shutting down the Vincent Thomas Bridge in L.A. for a whole day—a historic first in the city’s history.
9. Moonstruck
The romantic comedy Moonstruck almost didn’t feature our beloved quirky actor. When Nicolas Cage auditioned for the role of Ronny Cammareri, the filmmakers weren’t entirely impressed with his portrayal. However, Cher was determined to have him as her co-star and threatened to quit the film if Cage wasn’t cast. This came after Cher herself almost turned down her role as Loretta Castorini due to having just completed two films back-to-back and not seeing herself in the part. She also doubted the movie’s commercial potential. Luckily, the film became a massive success and received six Oscar nominations, with Cher winning Best Actress.
8. Vampire’s Kiss
Nicolas Cage’s now-iconic ‘meme’ face may have started as early as 1988 with the release of the eccentric comedy-horror film Vampire’s Kiss. Despite the viral facial expressions from the film, Cage has said that playing Peter Loew was one of his favorite roles. He even admitted that some of the deleted scenes represented his best work. In an unusual behind-the-scenes moment, Cage got into a dispute with director Robert Bierman over the bat used in the apartment scene. Cage refused to use the fake bat created by a special effects artist and insisted that his assistant catch a real bat in Central Park. His insistence was so strong that Bierman warned him he could die if bitten by the bat, causing Cage to reluctantly agree to the fake one. As if that wasn't bizarre enough, Cage also chewed on a live cockroach during another scene in the movie.
7. Face/Off
It’s hard to think about Face/Off without recalling the disturbing animatronic bodies used to depict Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as their faces were literally peeled off. And who could forget Cage’s manic performance as he briefly joins a choir, dressed as a priest, in one of the movie’s most memorable scenes?
In this wild film, Castor Troy, played by Cage, wields two golden guns, each with dragons intricately carved into the handles. This was Cage's own idea, inspired by the fact that he was born in 1964, the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac.
At the time of filming, CGI wasn't as prevalent as it is today, so most of the action sequences were performed practically. One standout moment includes a scene where Troy crashes a plane into a hangar, filmed using 13 different camera angles to capture the perfect shot.
Did you know that the magnetic boots worn by Sean Archer, portrayed by Travolta, are the same ones worn by the Goombas in the Super Mario Bros. movie?
6. Raising Arizona
Raising Arizona marked one of Nicolas Cage's early successes. Released in 1987, this comedy is a non-stop rollercoaster of laughs. However, Cage wasn't given full freedom to let his quirky side shine. Directed, produced, and written by Joel and Ethan Coen, they didn't allow Cage to ad-lib or fully embrace his eccentricities, leading to some tension between Cage and the Coen brothers. On the flip side, John Goodman, who also starred in the film, reportedly had a much better rapport with the brothers.
After the release of the film, Joel and Ethan Coen found themselves facing backlash over their portrayal of Arizona. Critics accused the brothers of depicting the state’s residents as ‘hicks’ with poor fashion sense. The controversy grew so intense that Joel Coen had to issue a public statement defending the film, though this did little to calm the widespread anger.
5. Leaving Las Vegas
Nicolas Cage proved his exceptional acting talent when he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1996 for his role in Leaving Las Vegas, beating out heavyweights like Anthony Hopkins and Sean Penn. His gut-wrenching performance as Ben Sanderson, a man who moves to Las Vegas to drink himself to death after losing his family and job, was a career-defining moment.
The tragedy of Leaving Las Vegas started before filming even began. The author of the novel the film was based on tragically took his own life at just 33 years old. In an eerie coincidence, Nicolas Cage wore the same watch and drove the same model BMW as the late author, which he only realized when the author’s parents mentioned it to him.
4. Con Air
One of the standout features of *Con Air* is undeniably Nic Cage’s unmistakable Southern drawl, paired with his long, unkempt hair. Equally unforgettable is Steve Buscemi’s chilling portrayal of Garland Greene, especially during the unsettling scene where he sings 'Whole World In His Hands' with a little girl, whose fate seemed all but sealed. Both Buscemi and John Cusack were given roles written specifically for them, but Cusack famously disliked the film and refused to participate in any interviews about it.
While *Con Air* is often considered over-the-top and laden with cheesy dialogue (who could forget 'put the bunny back in the box'?), what many might not realize is that it earned two Oscar nominations—Best Original Song and Best Sound. However, it wasn’t a big shock when *Titanic* swept the awards. Interestingly, the iconic bunny scene was actually an idea from Cage himself, who wanted it to symbolize the pain and personal loss his character had endured.
3. *Ghost Rider*
It seemed almost inevitable that Nicolas Cage would eventually land the role of the Ghost Rider, a character from Marvel Comics. The first *Ghost Rider* film was a major hit, grossing $115 million in North America alone. Unfortunately, its sequel didn’t fare nearly as well, receiving harsh criticism from both fans and reviewers alike.
Back in 1992, as Marvel and Hollywood began discussing the rights to various comic book characters, the concept of a *Ghost Rider* film was proposed. Two separate attempts to bring the character to the big screen fell through, with one of them even considering Johnny Depp for the lead role before the project ultimately collapsed.
When Cage was finally cast in the role, he almost dropped out of the Ghost Rider project after the director walked away and Cage was offered a role in Hellblazer. However, the writer insisted on Sting for the Hellblazer role and Cage ended up going back to Ghost Rider. Sting did not play any role in Hellblazer after all, and Keanu Reeves was cast in the lead role. The movie was renamed Constantine.
During an interview about Ghost Rider, Cage said that his performance was inspired by his pet snake. Apparently, the snake would turn its back on him and sway back and forth which inspired Cage to spin around and leap at his victims in the movie.
2. Matchstick Men
Matchstick Men is one of Nicolas Cage’s best movies. In it he truly shines in the role of Roy Waller, an OCD and Tourette Syndrome-afflicted con artist with a slight leaning towards agoraphobia. Despite the fact that the movie is good, it pretty much flopped at the box office with very low profit margins.
In the film, Alison Lohman portrayed a 14-year-old girl (Angela) when in real life she was already 23 years old. She arrived for her audition dressed as a 14-year-old and even the producer could not tell that she was a lot older than she looked. Angela pulling off the ultimate con towards the end of the film and leaving Waller penniless after robbing him, was the twist no-one saw coming. Some who were involved with the filming believed this was a too harsh and negative twist, but Ridley Scott fought to keep the scene in the movie.
1. It Could Happen To You
Although the movie 'It Could Happen To You' is widely known to be inspired by a true event, the actual story only partially aligns with the film's narrative. The real-life incident involves a waitress receiving millions from a police officer after he won the lottery. However, the individuals involved were not romantically linked and both married other people. Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo shared a $6 million Lotto prize after purchasing a ticket together as a replacement for a tip.
Following their win, Penzo used her share of the money to buy a new house, a car for both her husband and daughter, and traveled. Cunningham, on the other hand, chose to continue working, only retiring in 2018 after 38 years of service in law enforcement. He bought a house with his winnings and now enjoys his retirement alongside his wife and two sisters-in-law.
