Nicolas Cage is not particularly known for his comedic talents, but he has delivered many intentionally hilarious performances in films like Raising Arizona, The Croods, and Kick-Ass. Cage is among Hollywood’s most versatile actors and has acted in movies from a wide variety of genres. Whether it’s sci-fi, action, horror, thriller, or romance, Cage has starred in films belonging to every genre possible. However, comedy films are surprisingly low in number in the Academy Award winner’s voluminous filmography, especially when he has been churning out several movies a year for the past decade.
The Face/Off star revealed that Hollywood stopped offering him comedy films sometime during the ‘90s, and the trend has continued till today. Cage says he doesn’t understand why that happened but hopes his meta-comedy, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, will open the doors to more comedy roles for him. In a recent interview with The LA Times, Cage said,
"I’ve been scratching my head a little bit as to why Hollywood wasn’t offering me comedies anymore. I had done ‘Raising Arizona’ and ‘Honeymoon in Vegas’ and ‘It Could Happen to You’ and ‘Moonstruck.’ I was just sort of like, ‘Where did that option go?’ I think this movie will help with that."
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is currently playing in theaters worldwide. The film features Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself. Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan (Pedro Pascal). Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones.
Tom Gornican has directed The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent from a screenplay he co-wrote with Kevin Etten. Alongside a fictional Nick Cage, the film also features a younger version of himself, Nicky. "That guy is irreverent, arrogant, obnoxious — I don’t like that guy," Cage says describing Nicky. "I wanted that guy to be sort of one of the villains in the movie. I just think his attitude is so vulgar, it’s hilarious."
And apparently, it was Cage’s idea to have the two fictional versions of himself kiss in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. The scene is played for laughs and serves as a reminder that Cage can be quite funny without being over the top. Hopefully, studios will take notice and offer more comedy roles to the National Treasure star.
Nicolas Cage Is Looking Forward to His Revitalized Film Career
Nicolas Cage used to be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. But due to a slew of bad decisions and unnecessary expenses, Cage found himself debt-stricken and stepped away from the limelight. Since then, he has mostly starred in indie films. But Cage has paid off all his debts now while also gaining a cult following. He still plans to work in indie films but wouldn’t say no to reprising his most famous roles.
A Face/Off sequel is currently in the works, and Cage hopes to return for the film. However, Cage has confirmed that National Treasure 3 is unlikely to happen, and he has no interest in joining the television series currently in development at Disney+. As for his upcoming movies, Cage will next appear as Count Dracula in the dark comedy Renfield. He’ll also be starring in the westerns Butcher’s Crossing and The Old Way, both set to release this year.