LONDON: Hollywood star Nicolas Cage says his immediate reaction to being asked to play a version of himself in the new comedy action film "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" was a resounding "no".
The movie is a love letter to the actor and his career, which spans over four decades. Cage stars as Nick Cage, an ageing actor struggling to book new roles. Desperate, he accepts the offer to appear at a wealthy fan's birthday party in Europe in exchange for a $1 million paycheck.
Unbeknownst to him, the fan is a criminal and Cage gets enlisted by two CIA operatives to take him down. The task gets complicated when Cage and his target bond over their love for cinema, and Cage's daughter and ex-wife find themselves in the eye of the storm.
Co-writers Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten hoped against the odds that Cage would take on the role.
"I said 'no, no, no, no'. Nothing in my body, no muscle in my body told me to play myself in a movie. It was terrifying. It was a high wire act," Cage told Reuters, adding that a letter from Gormican, who also directed the film, made him change his mind.
"I was worried that it would be like an Andy Samberg SNL (Saturday Night Live) sketch, sort of a mockery. But he wanted to present a film that had characters that were more human, more sensitive, more personable and not just cartoon characters."
TRIBUTE
"Massive Talent" pays tribute to Cage's wide-ranging career while also drawing inspiration from his off-screen antics and headline-making private life.
"The real challenge was that you're using some real things from Nicolas Cage's life that have been heavily reported, on the financial difficulties, where he's at in his career, and then some things that were complete works of fiction that impacted the real Nicolas Cage," Gormican said.
"We had to find this balance between who he really was and who we were presenting to the world."
While the film's lead character and his alter-ego, a younger "Nicky" are fictional, Cage said some aspects of his real self seeped into the story.
"The comedy, I like to be goofy at home. I like to make my wife laugh. I like to make my boys laugh. I am always a bit off the wall with my sense of humour, and I think that in the movie is similar to my own style of humour at home."
"Massive Talent", which also stars Pedro Pascal, Lily Sheen, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris and Sharon Horgan, begins its global cinema rollout from April 20.
Reuters
Tue Apr 12 2022

Cage stars as Nick Cage, an ageing actor struggling to book new roles, in the new comedy action film "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent". - REUTERS/Filepic

Malaysia-China industrial cooperation to unlock new opportunities: Deputy Minister
Chan Foong Hin says the two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges.

Vance seeks closer US-India ties, warns of 'dark time' otherwise
New Delhi rushes to avoid US tariffs and court US President Donald Trump's administration.

South Korea's acting president Han expects positive outcome from US trade talks
The meeting was scheduled at the request of the US, Han Duck-soo says, and will be held in Washington on April 24.

China to import more Indonesian products, foreign minister says
Sugiono tells Wang Yi that partnerships with both China and the United States are equally important to the Southeast Asian country.

Visa exemption extended for five years to boost economy - Saifuddin Nasution
The Visa Liberalisation Plan for Chinese visitors has been extended for another five years, Home Minister says.

Malaysia to feel the pinch from new US solar tariffs
United States trade officials finalised steep tariff levels on most solar cells from Southeast Asia.

PM confirms special Parliament session on May 5 to discuss US tariff issue
The purpose of this special session is to enable members of parliament to debate the US tariff issue.

Vietnam clamps down on fraud on US exports, document shows
Vietnam's trade ministry says trade fraud was likely to increase amid growing tension caused by US tariffs.

China ramps up business charm offensive towards Taiwan alongside political pressure, study shows
Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward the island alongside military pressure.

India imposes temporary tariff on some steel to stem cheap imports from China
A flood of Chinese steel in recent years has pushed some Indian mills to scale down operations and mull job cuts.

At China auto show, EV makers to grapple with autonomous-tech crackdown, launch Tesla 'killers'
EVs now make up over half of new car sales in Chinafar ahead of the US, Europehitting Beijings 2030 goal years early.

Companies eye US expansion to cushion fallout from tariffs
Here are some of the plans companies have flagged.

China-Malaysia visa-free deal marks milestone in bilateral ties
Increased mobility is expected to spur Chinese investment in high-growth sectors throughout Malaysia, says analyst.

S.Korea braces for tough US trade talks, liberal party issues caution
Seoul will work closely with the US for a mutually beneficial solution, prioritising national interest, says Han Duck-soo.

Netflix shares rise as rosy outlook calms investors' nerves amid tariff fears
Netflix reassures investors that it could withstand any economic downturn amid a tariff laden economic climate.

China sanctions US congress members, officials and NGO heads
China warns any US misstep on Hong Kong will face firm, reciprocal countermeasures, says foreign ministry spokesperson.

How to take the most from the present De-Facto peace period in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum presents rare opportunity for trilateral engagement among foreign ministers of three South Caucasian countries.

Tariff deal talks to dominate IMF-World Bank meetings this week
Policymakers to gauge damage from Trump's tariff barrage.

World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab steps down as Chair
The Board appoints Vice Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe as interim Chair and establishes a search committee to identify permanent successor.

Japan to voice concern over US trade deal inconsistency, PM Ishiba says
Japan PM voices "grave concern" over inconsistency between the deal and President Donald Trump's latest automobile tariffs.