In 1997, two of the biggest stars of the time, Nicolas Cage and John Travolta set the screens on fire in the John Woo action thriller Face/Off. The film went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year for its stylized action sequences and the two lead actors’ captivating performances. While it is difficult to imagine that these two protagonists could have been played by anyone other than Travolta and Cage, Woo originally had two other superstars in mind.
Face/Off was written to cast two of Hollywood‘s biggest action stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in the lead roles. While the veterans have subsequently gone on to share screen space in The Expendables and Escape Plan, their collaboration in this film was not to be.
Nicolas Cage and John Travolta Almost Lost Their Face/Off Gig To These Superstars
Face/Off directed by John Woo, is a cult action thriller that follows an FBI Agent who undergoes plastic surgery to impersonate and get hold of his son’s killer and his arch-enemy. The two lead characters were played by two of Hollywood’s finest actors, Nicolas Cage and John Travolta whose chemistry on-screen was lauded by audiences and critics. Interestingly, the Grease star and the Ghost Rider actor were not the first choices for the film.
Director John Woo had originally thought to cast Hollywood’s big guns Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in the roles. While this would have been a huge casting coup, the collaboration did not materialize owing to the known intense off-screen rivalry between the Rambo star and the Terminator actor. In addition, the Italian Stallion had reportedly already committed to doing James Mangold’s Cop Land which also became a big hit that year. Nevertheless, Nicolas Cage and John Travolta ensured that their senior counterparts were not missed by turning in brilliant performances.
Nicolas Cage and John Travolta Got Along Famously On Face/Off Set
Casting two big stars who are also rivals and contemporaries in Hollywood comes with its share of risks. But director John Woo persisted with his vision for his action thriller Face/Off by roping in both John Travolta and Nicolas Cage to play the charismatic protagonists. While there were concerns about how both stars would gel with each other on set, writer Mike Werb stated that the Con Air actor and the Pulp Fiction star put all fears to rest by getting along like bread and butter.
“Travolta was there first, he was very nice. Then in the middle of us talking to John, he froze and looked past us like we weren’t there. Nic Cage had just shown up. The two of them started bonding and talking about each other’s more famous on-screen quirks. We said, ‘You know what, this movie’s actually going to work!’”
From almost not being made to becoming a cult classic, Face/Off is today considered one of Hollywood’s most entertaining action films mainly due to John Travolta and Nicolas Cage’s chemistry on and off screen.
Source: Movie Web
