Nicolas Cage says he’s ‘never going to retire’ from acting

Everyone needs a safe space, which, for Cage, will forever be in front of the camera.

Nicolas Cage says he’s ‘never going to retire’ from acting
(Image: GQ)

Though he’s starred in a slew of films that has been criticized for its brazen range — he appeared in three this year alone — Nicolas Cage claims he isn’t done yet. The stories he has left would take a lifetime to tell, and that’s why he has no plans to retire from acting — ever.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about his latest project Prisoners of the Ghostland, the Oscar winner shared what it takes for someone of his stature to keep people “interested” in his performance, and why it’s important to take a break from his time-honored tenure, one that’s already spanned more than a hundred movies.

“At my age, the job that I have is to stay interested, because if I’m not interested, you’re not going to be interested. It gets more difficult the older we get,” said the Pig star. “So I have the to find new ways of expressing myself, new challenges. But I do think, God willing, that once I finish the next two movies, I’m going to take some time off, because I think it’s time to recharge.”

Cage’s statement set up the imminent question of retirement, an idea he never intends to entertain. “No, no. That can’t happen. To do what I do in cinema has been like a guardian angel for me, and I need it.”

“I’m healthier when I’m working, I need a positive place to express my life experience, and filmmaking has given me that. So I’m never going to retire,” Cage explained. “What’s funny is, my argument with people who go, ‘You work too much,’ was ‘I like working, and it’s healthy, I’m happy when I’m working.”

Not only does Cage insist on acting for the rest of his life, but he also believes his best work is still ahead of him. He even dubbed his recent film, Prisoners of the Ghostland, as the “wildest movie” he’s ever made. In the post-apocalyptic neo-noir film from Sion Sono, Cage stars as a bank robber whose freedom from a wealthy warlord comes with the tall task of retrieving the latter’s granddaughter. Failure to do so will set off the bombs strapped to his body, including a pair put just next to his testicles. “Wildest movie” sounds about right.

Launching a career starring in teenage comedies in the 1980s, Cage has since landed lead roles in classic mainstream films such as The Rock, Con Air, City of Angels, Drive Angry, and other films across diverse genres that gained him a rich cult following. 

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