Nicolas Cage Turned Down Roles In 'Matrix' and 'Lord of the Rings' For This Sweet Reason
Nicolas Cage is in the midst of his career renaissance, with his performances in 'Pig' and 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' making waves among critics and fans.
There couldn't be a better time for an actor to share some thoughts about his distinguished career.
It is widely known that before hiring Keanu Reeves for the role of Neo, the producers of 'The Matrix ' had their eye on Cage. So did 'Lord of the Ring' creator Peter Jackson, ready to hire the actor for some undisclosed role. Great movies for a great actor, so why didn't the 'Face/Off' star appear in them?
Speaking to People, Cage revealed that his family played a huge role in him giving up these juicy roles and salaries that could have come with them.
"There's no version of Nic Cage that didn't put family first over career. 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, that's a fact", the actor said.
LOTR was notoriously known to shoot three movies in a row, while 'The Matrix' had an extended period of principal photography stretching out over several years. It looks like Cage just didn't want to spend that much time without his 8-year-old son and doesn't regret that decision at all.
Actor's fans are totally behind his decision, praising Cage for putting his family first.
Cage's latest film 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' hits theatres on April 22, 2022.