"What I'd do, I'd put on Afro-Caribbean black paint and black out my eyes so I looked like this sort of Afro-Caribbean voodoo icon... I'd try to trick my mind into believing I was this character from another dimension."
When he was interviewed about making Wicker Man he described it as "a brilliant dark comedy." To add to this he describes his acting style as nouveau shamanic(a phrase Jim Morrison must be rolling over in his grave for not inventing) which is an acting method that he states "has magical powers that help me transform into a character." He seems to accept literally any role that comes his way and he has a repertoire of truly awful movies to show for it. It's almost like Nicolas Cage is picking his movie roles the same way he orders his food at Taco Bell. It seems like he just finds something vaguely familiar and just goes with it whether it will benefit him or not. All of his roles in the '00s are virtually the same with maybe some small thing that makes each one just a little different than the one before it but still not different enough to make a difference. But, every now and again he'll take a chance on something and remind everyone that he was once a great actor. Kick-Ass, Adaptation and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans are all examples of this. Much has been said about his odd spending habits. He bought an octopus to study it, as a way to better hone his acting abilities, he has a golden pyramid in his backyard that he wishes to be buried in - not to mention he owns various automobiles, a jet and a castle. His reputation as a lunatic is not only perpetuated by his ridiculous spending habits or choice of acting roles as of late but also his fans. There was a rumor in mid-January that stated he had died in a snowboarding accident in Switzerland while certain sections of the internet are devoted entirely to Nicolas Cage memes. He even has his own page on knowyourmeme.com. Nicolas Cage stopped being an actor quite a while ago and now he exists as more of an internet legend and less of a legitimate artist. He is likely to be remembered as having one of the most bizarre careers in Hollywood history which is a real shame because he is a truly great actor. One thing is for certain though: it will be a very long time before the internet lets anyone forget about the name Nicolas Cage with the dozens of YouTube videos devoted solely to his more bizarre moments on film and the endless parade of memes that he inspires.
Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have of Mr. Cage in the comments.