Nicolas Cage is one of the most successful and versatile actor of his generation. Cage has delighted millions of fans with the unique and creative skills he showcased on the silver screen, for he demonstrates extraordinary resilience when portraying his movie characters. The legendary star began his career in Hollywood in the late 1980s and rose to superstardom heights with his hardwork and dedication to his craft.
While the actor has played varied roles and starred in dozens of iconic movies in his storied career, the 59-year-old star has reportedly turned down a few movie roles over the years in showbiz. He once revealed how he had long wished to collaborate with award-winning star Jim Carrey on the silver screen, and Carrey had even asked him to star in his iconic 1994 American buddy comedy film Dumb and Dumber, which he ultimately turned down only to appear in the small budgeted film Leaving Las Vegas.
Nicolas Cage Reveals Why He Rejected Jim Carrey-led Film Dumb and Dumber
Nicolas Cage is an admirable actor who has won several accolades and praise for his exceptional performances in each of his projects. Cage has played many influential and challenging roles in his career and has steadily established himself as a top-notch performer who could pull off any character effortlessly. The actor is known to pick his projects carefully, and just like many stars, he has also passed on several opportunities.
In 1995, the actor appeared in the American drama film Leaving Las Vegas, playing the role of Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter. His extraordinary portrayal in the flick earned him critical acclaim, and he won an Academy Award for Best Actor. However, before he secured his award-winning role in this small-budgeted project, he turned down one of the most iconic films of Jim Carrey.
In a previous interview with HuffPost, the City of Angels star revealed that Carrey wanted him to star in his 1994 buddy comedy flick Dumb and Dumber, which he refused at the time, only to appear in the titular film that earned him Oscar. He told the outlet,
“We talked at length about trying to do a movie together. In fact, he wanted me to be in Dumb and Dumber with him. And then I wanted to do a much smaller movie instead called Leaving Las Vegas.”
Despite getting the chance to star in one of the most iconic movies of Jim Carrey, Nicolas Cage made up his decision to appear in Leaving Las Vegas, which earned him critical acclaim. Nevertheless, both actors have worked together in movies like Peggy Sue Got Married.
Nicolas Cage Talks About His Experience Working in Leaving Las Vegas
In a candid interview with Roger Ebert, Nicolas Cage opened up about what intrigued him to star in this small-budgeted award-winning movie. The actor shared that the movie was filmed on 16mm film, saying,
“It was shot in 16 mm., instead of 35, which would be more expensive. I find 16 exciting because it gives the film a pastel look. It’s in muted colors, like a painting. Film has lost something in the translation to high tech. It’s become so super-real. It’s with digital this and stereo that and everything’s like a CD.”
He continued,
“It’s becoming colder – you get a crystal, pristine feel in new films, while in the old black and white movies, there was a separation between the audience and the film, and you could sort of dream upon that. It was like a painting. Leaving Las Vegas is in color, but the 16 gives it something of the same quality.”
The titular film boasts a stellar cast ensemble featuring Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis, Steven Weber, Emily Procter, Valeria Golino, and more.
Leaving Las Vegas is available for streaming on Hulu.
Source: HuffPost, Roger Ebert
