Nicolas Cage was a huge movie star in the ’90s thanks to movies like Moonstruck Leaving Las Vegas And Adaptation , But by the 2010s, a series of direct-to-video flops—and Internet compilations of the actor’s larger-than-life character—had turned Cage into a meme rather than a respectable one. theatrical. Now that he’s back in the public’s good graces, however, Cage admits to taking on some “menial” roles for money – though he used his earnings not to buy more dinosaur skulls, but to pay off tons of debt.
In an interview with 60 minutesCage explained that he ran up $6 million in debt in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash. “I overinvested in real estate,” he recalls. “It wasn’t because I spent $80 on an octopus. The real estate market crashed, and I couldn’t get out in time.”
Cage had already moved to Las Vegas—where there are no income taxes—before the crash, which helped him when he found himself vulnerable. Refusing to declare bankruptcy, he began making three to four films a year in order to pay off his debts. And while he admitted that not every movie was “top notch,” Cage said the work was his “guardian angel” during the dark period and insisted he still takes every job seriously.
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“Even if the movie is bad in the end, they know I don’t relate to it,” Cage said. “That’s what matters to me. Every time.” Watch it in full 60 minutes interview below; The quotes above start around the 9:40 mark.
About two years ago, Cage paid off all his debts. Now, lucky for us, he’s managed to make the kind of high-quality movie we’re known for pig to The unbearable weight of sheer talent This month Renfield. He even ranked his own favorites from his filmography in a recent interview with Stephen Colbert.
