Nicolas Cage has claimed that several influential directors have 'never called him back' after he turned down roles in their films. The 62-year-old actor named Sir Christopher Nolan, Woody Allen, and Paul Thomas Anderson as high-profile filmmakers who he says have 'hurt feelings'.
Cage's Revelations in New York Times Interview
In an interview with The New York Times, Cage praised David O. Russell as 'the only director that I ever said no to who actually came back.' He added, 'Most of them, they get their feelings hurt and don't call you back. It's happened a million times to me.'
Films Cage Turned Down
One of the films in question was Nolan's 2002 psychological thriller Insomnia, which was the first movie after his breakout film Memento. Similarly, Paul Thomas Anderson reportedly approached Cage for an early movie after showing him a short film starring Philip Baker Hall, who also appeared in Anderson's Hard Eight.
Cage did not specify which other films he might have wanted the directors to call him for. He also revealed that David O. Russell had offered him a 'good movie' years ago, which he turned down. However, Russell later approached him for the upcoming film Madden, a role Cage nearly rejected again.
Why Cage Accepted the Madden Role
Speaking about why he took the role of John Madden, the real-life NFL coach and commentator who died in December 2021, Cage explained: 'I really didn't know who [John Madden] was. I don't have, in my view anyway, much in common with him.' He added, 'How can I get way out of my comfort zone? Which is what David Bowie said to me. I asked him, “How did you keep reinventing yourself?” He said, “I just never got comfortable with anything I was doing.” That’s stayed with me.'
Casting and Controversy
Will Ferrell was originally rumored to be linked to the role, but in August 2023, Cage was announced as the star. Two years later, the rest of the main cast was announced, including Christian Bale, Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney, and Sienna Miller. After filming began, some cast members reportedly walked off set, with TMZ claiming a disagreement over the N-word being uttered during shooting. The outlet reported that the word was included in an 'impromptu monologue' suggested by an actor and did not make the final scene. Sources also claimed that Russell's reaction during a nude locker room scene was 'unprofessional'. Russell did not comment on the reported fallout, and filming continued.
Metro has reached out to Nolan and Anderson's teams for comment.
