Nicolas Cage Turned Down a Role in $3B Fantasy Trilogy for a Wholesome Reason

Summary:

• Nicolas Cage has had a long and bumpy acting career, but he hasn't taken a break in more than forty years
• The actor deliberately passed on starring in The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix
• While these huge franchises would have undoubtedly boosted his career, Cage decided to put his family first

Nicolas Cage's acting career is certainly an interesting one, as ever since he started appearing on the big screen back in the 1980s, the actor has never taken a break, no matter how bumpy the road has been.

Over the course of more than four decades, Cage has been through many ups and downs, from a young and promising actor, to an international action movie superstar, to a washed-up B-list actor who will sign on for any movie that pays the bills.

In light of all this, the fact that he turned down roles in not one, but two massively successful movie trilogies that are forever embedded in popular culture and have collectively grossed more than $4.6 billion seems rather bizarre.

Cage Could Have Portrayed Two Cinematic Icons

In his interview with People Magazine, Cage confirmed that he had to turn down the roles of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings and Neo in The Matrix because he wasn't willing to travel to another side of the world for an extended period of time.

The actor explained that traveling to Australia, since the Wachowskis' film was shot in Sydney, or New Zealand, where Peter Jackson's epic fantasy trilogy was filmed, would have taken him away from his son Weston for three years.

Cage always puts his family first, so he decided to pass up these incredible opportunities that would most likely have furthered his acting career, and chose to be a good parent instead.

The roles of Aragorn and Neo went to Viggo Mortensen and Keanu Reeves, respectively, while the respective films made huge money and became iconic trilogies.

After a Rough Period, the Actor Managed to Get Back on Track

Given that the films in question were made in the early 2000s, it was only about a decade before the actor experienced a significant decline in his career and resorted to starring in lower-tier films.

Thankfully, Cage has seemingly managed to get back on track in recent years, starring in such acclaimed films as Pig (2021), The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), and Dream Scenario (2023).

And the actor won't be retiring anytime soon, as he already has three projects lined up for 2024 and 2025, so hopefully he'll be able to maintain this positive momentum and solidify the resurgence of his career.

Source: People Magazine