Casting Nicolas Cage as Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent may seem like an obvious decision to fans, but according to writer Kevin Etten and writer-director Tom Gormican, there were a couple of possibilities if Cage had declined.
Gormican told Collider that even Cage himself had a few ideas about who could play him. "Nic has said, 'I think if Gene Wilder were alive he would have been a great idea to play me. I don’t know who could do Nicolas Cage.'" Christian Bale was the suggestion of Etten, and Gormican agreed. “Christian Bale or Daniel Day-Lewis in full prosthetics probably,” Gormican explained.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent sees Cage play a fictional version of himself that has fallen into debt through a stagnating career. While also trying to land a part in a Quentin Tarantino movie, he accepts an offer to attend a fan's birthday party and finds himself in the middle of a CIA operation focused on his new friend Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). At the time of writing, it is one of Cage's most well-reviewed movies.
The two living actors suggested by Etten and Gormican are both well-known for transforming into their roles. Now retired from acting, Daniel Day-Lewis won three Oscars, the last of which was for his role in Lincoln, where he wore prosthetics to become past US President Abraham Lincoln. Although Christian Bale might be best known for his work in The Dark Knight Trilogy, the Oscar-winning actor is also known for his own transformations, which include gaining 40 pounds and shaving his head to play Dick Cheney in Vice.
Playing himself was a new experience for Cage. At various points in the movie, there is more than one version of the actor involved and the iconic actor found that the only way to portray this well was to throw himself into it. "Having to play two versions of myself in a movie that’s sort of about some Tom Gormican version of myself, I was like, 'Okay, I’m just gonna have to go full Bugs Bunny on this.'" he said. The actor has compared his experiences to "making out" with himself.
Cage might be willing to play himself, but he's not keen to commit to any role that sees him away from home for extended periods of time. "I turned down Lord of the Rings and I turned down Matrix because I didn't want to go to New Zealand for three years or Australia for three years because I needed to be home with my son Weston," he explained.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is in theaters now.
Source: Collider