No one wants that day to come, but eventually our greatest actors will stand in front of the camera for the last time. Generational talent Nicolas Cage has even started talking about that day, recently revealing he only sees himself doing a few more films before retirement.
“I may have three or four more movies left in me,” the Dream Scenario star told Vanity Fair in a recent interview. “I do feel I’ve said what I’ve had to say with cinema. I think I took film performance as far as I could … I do want to get much more severe and stringent in my selection process … I want to say bye on a high note.”
In the conversation, Cage noted that his father died at 75, giving him roughly 15 years before he’s in the same position — though he added, “hopefully more.” Ultimately, that perspective gave the Coppola cousin some real insight on where his priorities lie at this point in his life. “What do I want to do with those 15 years, using my father as the model?” he explained to the outlet. “It occurred very clearly to me that I want to spend time with my family … I’m starting to cement my plan.”
All of that is to say that the prolific performer did mention he was open to broadening his acting horizons into realms he’s not yet worked in, such as television, so it’s possible he won’t be down for the count entirely.
Theoretically, Cage’s potential lead-up to retirement probably doesn’t include the four films he’s currently attached to, all of which are in various states of pre and post-production. One film is allegedly completed according to IMDB. If that’s actually the case, we’ve still got Cage for another eight films plus a potential TV series — so we’re not saying goodbye just yet.
The actor is currently garnering acclaim and praise for his leading performance in Kristoffer Borgli’s Dream Scenario, playing in theaters now. Trust me, you're going to want to see him in this one.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
