The entertainment industry is no stranger to unusual stories, but every so often, a story uniquely associated with Nicolas Cage emerges. Cage is known for his eccentric roles and unconventional personal life, which have captured audiences’ attention on and off the screen. However, even by Cage’s standards, the story of Harvey, an $80,000 two-headed snake, is particularly intriguing.
Nicolas Cage’s Dream That Started It All
Before Harvey arrived, the cage had a supernatural dream that unwittingly paved the way for the snake to enter his life. The actor had a recurring dream about a powerful and mystical two-headed eagle. Just think of Nicolas Cage’s surprise when, the very next day, a two-headed snake became available for sale. With the vision still clear, Cage forked over $80,000 to bring Harvey back to his family.
There was no ordinary snake-like Harvey. He was born with bicephaly, an extremely unusual condition in which an animal develops two heads. Animals affected by this condition have a very slim chance of surviving adulthood.
Despite these setbacks, Harvey flourished while in Nicolas Cage’s care. This wasn’t without difficulties; one image that immediately comes to mind is Cage using a spatula to keep the two heads from fighting over food at mealtimes.
Although they shared a body, each head had its brain, with one being significantly larger than the other. Given Cage’s film industry ties, you might expect a movie about his unusual pet to be made.
When Nicolas Cage Scared Everyone Around Him
The fact that famous director Werner Herzog, who met Harvey at one of Cage’s extravagant parties, wanted to include the snake in their film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans made this scenario seem all the more likely.
But Nicolas Cage was reluctant to agree. He didn’t see Harvey as a novelty to be shown off on the big screen. Harvey’s dream about the snake and the fortunate circumstances surrounding his acquisition gave the animal profound personal significance. Cage recalled the moment to Interview Magazine.
“I did buy the most haunted mansion in New Orleans, which is known as the LaLaurie Mansion. We had a big party, Werner came over, and, at the time, I owned a two-headed snake, which I had spent a lot of money on and subsequently donated to the Audubon Zoo. But I brought it out, and everybody was freaked out by it.”
Cage has taken care of various animals, and Harvey is just one of them. When a nearby pet store owner passed away, Cage adopted many of the animals left behind. Cage’s beloved Maine Coon, Merlin, is a good example.
As reported by Cheatsheet, the actor has such a close relationship with Merlin that he often confuses the cat’s adoring hugs with his wife’s.
“He’s so kind and so loving. Sometimes he puts his arm around me when he’s sleeping, and I think it’s my wife, and I go, ‘Oh, Riko.’ And then it’s Merlin.”
Cage loved Harvey but realized a specialized setting would better suit the snake’s needs. For this reason, he chose to act altruistically by giving Harvey to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Harvey thrived at the zoo and lived there until he was 14 years old, making him a local celebrity.
Source: Interview Magazine
