Aside from being an actor who always manages to perfectly embody every character he takes upon, Nicolas Cage is also an absolute treat to watch in interviews. Whether he is talking about being stalked by not one but two mimes or recalling how he disguised himself in his childhood so that his bullies wouldn’t steal his snacks, Nicolas Cage always knows how to make interviews fun.
During one equally iconic interview moment, Nicolas Cage let the audience in on a little secret. Before starting his career as an actor, Nicolas Cage apparently wanted to become a robber. While we don’t know if he would actually have gone through with the plan or not, the idea of becoming a robber came from his desire to do “crazy things.”
Nicolas Cage Wanted to Become a Robber?
Back in 1990, Nicolas Cage appeared for an interview on the British talk show, Wogan, hosted by Terry Wogan. While the actor was there to promote his film, Wild at Heart, he opened up about another career path he possibly could have taken in his life.
When Wogan stated, “You have been quotes as saying that if you hadn’t been an actor, you’d be dead,” Cage said that that might have been a bit of an exaggeration. However, he did speak about what he would have been instead of an actor and honestly, it was an answer no one could have guessed.
“Well, you know, maybe I was a little bit far-fetched. I guess I had this need, you know, to do kind of crazy things. And maybe, if I hadn’t become an actor, I used to like the idea of robbing banks. So at least now I don’t really have to rob a bank. I can just do it in a movie. Safer that way.”
Well, thank god for the film industry which lets people be whoever they want, without jail time! Luckily, Cage did eventually get to play a thief in his 2012 action thriller, Stolen.
Why Did Nicolas Cage Want to Pursue Acting?
There are many reasons why a person would want to get into the film industry. They could either have been influenced by their favorite actor or they could just simply love the glam life that comes as a bonus. However, this was not the case for the It Could Happen to You actor who doesn’t really like doing things the usual way.
Talking about the first time he decided to become an actor, Cage told Wogan,
“When I was 6 years old, I used to watch the TV, you know and, I used to wonder how those little guys…got into the TV, how they were talking like you, you know. And I wanted to figure out ways of getting inside that TV set. So it was the first time I really wanted to be an actor, I think.”
Surely, we have all at one point in our childhood wondered how humans were able to get into a little box and how their lives were broadcasting in our living rooms. The only difference is that Cage ended up making a career out of his curiosity.
You can stream Stolen on Prime Video.
