Nicolas Cage is one of his generation’s most peculiar movie stars. Throughout his career, many of his performances have received rave reviews and accolades: he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Leaving Las Vegas.
But for many fans, Cage’s talent has been overshadowed by his many subpar film choices: for years, it seemed like there was no role Cage would say no to, and the star appeared in many Hollywood flops and critically-panned direct-to-video movies.
In a recent interview, Nicolas Cage revealed why he did so many of these “crummy” movies… and why he has no regrets about his performances.
After breaking out with roles in Valley Girl and Peggy Sue Got Married, Nicolas Cage had success in critically-acclaimed films like Raising Arizona, Moonstruck, Wild at Heart, Bringing Out the Dead and Adaptation.
He also found success as an action star, with hit films like The Rock, Con Air, Face/Off, and the National Treasure franchise.
“Crummy” movies
But in the 2010s, Cage’s career took a bizarre turn as he began starring in multiple films a year, most of which were critically panned movies that went straight to video on demand.
Recently, the actor admitted most of these were “crummy” movies — and revealed he took them to pay off his debts. Speaking to 60 Minutes, Cage said he owed $6 million due to real estate debt.
“I was over-invested in real estate. The real estate market crashed, and I couldn’t get out in time,” Cage said. “I paid them all back, but it was about $6 million. I never filed for bankruptcy.”
He explains he took on the many direct-to-VOD as a way to pay off the millions while continuing to work as much as possible. While many of these films were little-seen and critically reviled, Cage says he still put the work in.
“Work was always my guardian angel. It may not have been blue chip, but it was still work,” he told 60 Minutes. “Even if the movie ultimately is crummy, they know I’m not phoning it in, that I care every time.”
“I never phoned it in”
Some of these low-budget films received positive reviews and cult followings, like Mandy and Color Out of Space. He expressed some pride in his acting work last year while speaking to GQ.
“When I was doing four movies a year, back to back to back, I still had to find something in them to be able to give it my all,” he told the magazine. “They didn’t work, all of them. Some of them were terrific, like Mandy, but some of them didn’t work.”
“But I never phoned it in. So if there was a misconception, it was that. That I was just doing it and not caring. I was caring.”
Hollywood comeback
And doing all those “crummy” movies hasn’t hurt Cage’s career — in fact, it’s helped make him a cult favorite among younger audiences. He’s still one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, and has enjoyed a recent critical comeback.
He received widespread acclaim for his performance in the film Pig, and also received positive reviews for playing a fictionalized version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. He plays Dracula in the new comedy film Renfield, currently playing in theaters.
Nicolas Cage did a lot of bad movies, but it paid off his debts while allowing him to do what he loves. We’re glad to see he’s back to doing better films!
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