Nicolas Cage has discussed the advice David Bowie gave him about reinvention, and how it relates to his acting choices to this day.
The actor spoke to The New York Times about playing famed American Football coach John Madden, in the upcoming film Madden, about the sporting great’s involvement in the video game franchise that bears his name. The film is directed by David O. Russell (American Hustle) and co-stars Christian Bale.
During the interview Cage talked about his insecurities approaching the role, and how music legend Bowie inspired him to put aside those doubts.
“It was a big challenge,” he said of his new role. “I don’t think of myself when I think of John Madden. So I was like, OK, how can I get way out of my comfort zone? Which is what David Bowie said to me. I asked him, ‘How did you keep reinventing yourself?’ He said, ‘I just never got comfortable with anything I was doing.’ That’s stayed with me.”
Bowie, who passed away in January 2016 after battling cancer, was known for his frequent reinvention as an artist, experimenting with different genres and personas. Likewise, Cage has avoided categorisation during most of his career, appearing in everything from bombastic action movies like Con Air and The Rock to cerebral dramas such as Adaptation.
Before Madden’s release in November, Cage is starring in the Marvel series Spider-Noir, which premiered on Amazon’s Prime Video this week (May 25). It features the actor as an alternate version of Spider-Man, set in a 1930s Noir adventure.
Last year, Nicolas Cage discussed how he is mistaken for Nick Cave “almost every day”, prompting the musician to share his own story about a time somebody thought he was the actor.