“I don’t want to be thought of as a hypocrite”: Nicolas Cage Hates It When Someone Calls Him an Actor
Known for portraying versatile characters on-screen, actor Nicolas Cage over the years has gained a cult following and is regarded as one of the skilled actors in the industry. The actor established himself as the mainstream actor in action movies with 1996’s The Rock, followed by Con Air, Face/Off, Gone in 60 Seconds and more.
Nicolas Cage describes his approach towards acting as Nouveau Shamanism and without a doubt is admired by fans across the world. Cage changed his family name from ‘Coppola’ to ‘Cage’ to avoid any appearance of nepotism as filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew. One of the most influential actors in the industry, Cage dislikes being called an actor. Let’s find out more.
Nicolas Cage addresses why he dislikes the term ‘actor’
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, actor Nicolas Cage was asked the reason behind his disliking the term ‘actor’, which he had mentioned during an appearance on Variety’s Award Circuit podcast in 2021. Nicolas Cage said,
“What I was saying was; I see acting as storytelling. It’s trying to get to the truth of character. The first actor in Europe was someone called Thespus. What happened there, in Greece, was that he broke free…and started telling a story truthfully. For me, acting is trying to find the truth of a story.”
Cage continued to explain,
“Now what’s interesting is that, literally, the word actor means hypocrite. I don’t want to be thought of as a hypocrite. Sorry if that sounds pretentious.”
The actor further shared that he identifies with the word Thespian which derives from the Greek actor Thespus. In an interview with Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Cage explained that he does not like the word actor because for him whenever someone says that he is a great actor, it always implies that he is a great liar or great at lying which he does not want to be associated with. He added that he likes the word thespian because it means he’s going into his heart.
Nicolas Cage reveals his top five favorite movies
During the interview with Stephen Colbert via The Digital Fix, Nicolas Cage was asked about his top five movies he has been a part of and he said that Pig was his favorite movie he has ever made. The movie which was released in 2021 starred Cage as a truffle hunter who lived alone in the Oregon wilderness and returns to Portland to look for his missing pig. The movie upon its release received critical acclaim with special appreciation for Cage’s performance.
Further, the Thespian mentioned that he also likes his 2018’s Mandy, 1999’s Bringing Out the Dead, 2009’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and 2013’s Joe.
During his interview with Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Cage also addressed his unique acting choices and when asked about the term ‘over the top’, he stated;
“Well, when they say that to me, I say, ‘You tell me where the top is and I’ll tell you whether or not I’m over it.”
The actor (Thespian) mentioned that his choices for his characters have been designed in a way to be able to break form with what the audience has been used to watching. He said his aunt Talia Shire was the one who had told him that ‘Naturalism is a style’ and he was a believer in art synchronicity and the fact that one can utilize one art form to express another meaning.
Nicolas Cage’s Pig is streaming on Prime Video.
