Nicolas Cage Still Brings the Action
It’s ironic that Nicolas Cage, who has spent over 40 years in cinema, won an Oscar Award for his bravura performance in Leaving Las Vegas—because he has now been living on the outskirts of Sin City since 2006.
He says moving to Vegas saved him from the traps of Hollywood. Cage, who presently stars in The Old Way a classic Western, has appeared in about 120 movies, which is just mind-boggling. The busy actor gives us some advice and insights into Hollywood and his longevity.
How Can Something Like Your Wardrobe Inform an Actor’s Performance?
I try to find something that makes me stand out like an item of clothing or a hairstyle. Remember how James Dean stood out in Rebel Without A Cause, well I learned from being fascinated by him in that red jacket he wore. It was like his unique emblem. For me, once you find that one piece of clothing from the wardrobe that the audience can identify with, it becomes your signature and you stick with it.
What Practical Advice Did Legendary Actor Sean Connery Give You?
I worked with Sean Connery on The Rock together, and he did give me some invaluable advice, saying that “You’ve got to know how to enter a room. So, when you enter, they take notice of you.” And when it comes down to it, it really is about your entrance and exit, in work and in life.
What Advice Do You Offer to Young Actors?
I found auditions painful when I first started out. Fortunately, today, you have the option of using smart technology. So, my advice today is to shoot a video and frame it to make it look even better. Like putting a Masters painting, a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh in a frame and it’s amazing, right?! I’ve found that if you put a frame around your audition performance, it enhances the impact of your performance.
Is it True that you Borrowed your name “Cage” from the Music Composer John Cage?
Yes, The Cage part comes from that great avant-garde composer I always admired. That name spoke more to who I was and am. But going back, I was still credited as Nicholas Coppola when I had a small part in a movie called Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982 but I think I got mostly cut out. As Coppola, people would refer to all sorts of quirky things, like quotes from my uncle Francis’ movies like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. And I thought I didn’t need that, I wanted my own identity.
How Does Filming in Different Locations Influence You?
There’s a Latin term called “genius loci” which is like the spirit of the place. I love going to exotic and unique places, and picking up on the character or special atmosphere of a location. Each place has its own genius loci and that inspires the work, like the magic of the crisp wind in the Pacific Northwest.
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