If there is anyone in Hollywood who marches to the beat of their own drum, it’s Nicolas Cage. Whether he’s doing incredibly unique performances in wild genre films or really nuanced performances in acclaimed dramas, you don’t know what you’re going to get with Cage. So, it really should be of no surprise to hear that Nicolas Cage is ready to quit film entirely and devote his life to TV acting.
In a new interview with UPROXX, Nicolas Cage talked about his desire to leave film shortly and “switch formats” in an effort to keep acting interesting for him as he ages. What does that really mean? Well, Cage said he has a few more films to wrap up, due to contractual agreements, and then he’d like to possibly try prestige TV.
“I mean, I like staying fresh. I mean, I like to keep mixing it up. I don’t want to get stuck in any genre or any performance style. I want to do it all,” said Cage. “And I feel that I’ve, at this point – after 45 years of doing this; that in over 100 movies – I feel I’ve pretty much said what I’ve had to say with cinema. And I’d like to leave on a high note and say, ‘Adios.’ I think I have to do maybe three or four more movies before I can get there, and then hopefully switch formats and go into some other way of expressing my acting.”
He continued, “I would’ve liked to have left on a high note, like Dream Scenario. But I have other contracts that I have to fulfill, so we’ll see what happens. I mean, I am going to be very severe and very astringent on the selection process moving forward. But for me to do another movie, I do want to explore other formats. I am very interested in immersion streaming with episodic television. I have seen things that can be done now with characters and the time they’re given to express themselves. I saw Bryan Cranston stare at a suitcase for an hour on one episode of ‘Breaking Bad.’ We don’t have time to do that in a feature film, so maybe television is the next best step for me. We’ll see.”
Over the last several years, particularly since the surprising success of “Mandy” and “Pig,” Cage has been one of the most interesting actors working today. He’s found this sort of career resurgence (though he never really “left,” per se) amongst cinephiles, so it’s interesting to hear him want to make such a drastic change.
That said, there’s not really much distinction between earning prestige for a film or TV series. Some of the best storytelling is being done on TV, so it’s not like Cage is likely going to just lead his own spinoff of “NCIS.” Though, you really can’t rule that out with him, can you?
It’ll be fun to see the late-stage Cage that we have grown to truly appreciate try his hand at TV work. Obviously, he would fit right in whether its on a streaming service, HBO, or what have you. Plus, getting the chance to see Cage give life to a character over six to ten hours in a TV series versus just two in a film is an exciting prospect.
Before then, you can check out Nicolas Cage in “Dream Scenario,” which is in theaters now.
