There are plenty of actors in Hollywood who have played a wide variety of roles. But there are only a few actors who have a wide variety of public profiles. In that regard, Nicolas Cage’s name, more often than not, comes first to the mind.
Ask movie fans of the 80s and they will talk about his immense potential as a rom-com superstar. Talk to the fans of the 90s and they will reminisce about his action flicks like The Rock and Con Air. At the turn of the century, the Oscar winner had established himself as one of the most well-respected actors of his time. Late in the 2000s, he was the talk of the town for his financial decisions, and the last decade or so has seen him become the subject of many jokes and memes.
One movie that does the best job of summing up all of the aforementioned personas and opinions in its own unique way is The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
How Nicolas Cage’s Mentality Carried Him Through Rough Patches in Hollywood
Nicolas Cage plays himself (as Nick Cage) in a fictionalized action comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which follows the story of an actor, who’s on the brink of financial ruin. He subsequently accepts a $1 million offer to attend a wealthy fan’s birthday party, but things take a wild turn from there.
The movie touches on subjects like the actor, his persona, and the perception around his work and stardom, while also challenging the choices one makes in their profession while possessing “massive talent”.
When it comes to making choices, Cage has always found himself in the spotlight. The Oscar-winning actor is undoubtedly a top talent, which makes some of his decisions seem even more puzzling. Seeing Cage in flops like Deadfall, Trapped In Paradise, Left Behind, 211 (the list goes on and on) is like watching a master artist painting on a garage wall.
But the 59-year-old, who has seen it all, shared a different perspective altogether when asked about his tendency to say yes to a lot of projects. He told The Hollywood Reporter:
“I developed this mantra, which is: ‘I never had a career, I only have work.’ And when I say that, I am saying that I’m a better man when I’m working because I don’t want to be that guy that’s sitting by a pool getting bombed on mai tais and Dom Perignon.”
So there’s that. Cage rather than overly romanticizing and eulogizing his career, just sees it as a work. To be fair, the mentality has worked just fine for him with regard to elongating a career. The fact that the actor who started making waves in the 80s is still active in 2023 is an achievement on its own.
What Sean Penn Said About Nicolas Cage’s Career Choices in 90s
As suggested at the start of this article, Cage has divided opinions throughout his career and is perceived differently by different individuals. Early in his career, he delivered plenty of brilliant performances in movies like Racing with the Moon and Moonstruck and many thought he’d go on to become an iconic actor.
However, as his stardom grew, Cage attracted roles that usually attracted big cheques rather than complex roles that could’ve perhaps tested his action potential much better. He was commanding as much as $20 million per movie at one point in his career.
But his choices evoked an interesting comment from his Racing with the Moon co-star Sean Penn, who said he sees Cage more as a performer than an actor in an interview with The New York Times in 1998.
Penn started his career around the same time as Cage and has gone on to build a much-esteemed acting catalog, which has seen him become a five-time Oscar nominee.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
