And how they saved him from a "dark period"
Nicolas Cage has paid his dues in more ways than one…and many times over.
During his appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the 59-year-old “Renfield” star revealed he took on a series of “crummy” roles in order to pay off his $6 million debt.
Before the market crash of 2008, Cage said he “overinvested in real estate” when he bought a series of castles in Germany and England as well as a mansion in New Orleans and a private island in the Bahamas.
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The actor has been known for his eccentric purchases that have included dinosaur skulls, a two headed snake and a pet octopus — though he claims they did not affect his debt.
“I was overinvested in real estate. It wasn’t because I spent $80 on an octopus. The real-estate market crashed, and I couldn’t get out in time,” he explained. “I paid them all back, but it was about $6 million. I never filed for bankruptcy.”
Though his financial struggles resulted in a “dark period” for the actor, Cage shared that “work was always my guardian angel” and filming three to four movies a year helped him get out of his hole.
While many of his films during that time were released direct-to-video and may not have the greatest reviews, the “Leaving Las Vegas” actor said he always put his best foot forward when it came to his acting.
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“Even if the movie ultimately is crummy, they know I’m not phoning it in, that I care every time,” Cage continued. “But there are those folks that are probably thinking that the only good acting that I can do is the acting that I chose to do by design, which was more operatic and, you know, larger-than-life and so-called ‘Cage rage,’ and all that. But you’re not going to get that every time.”
In an interview with GQ last year, Cage acknowledged the trajectory his career took from starring in blockbuster movies to straight-to-VOD projects.
“The phone stopped ringing. It was like, ‘What do you mean we’re not doing ‘National Treasure 3’? It’s been 14 years. Why not?'” He confessed that he would always get vague answers about the project but knew the elephant in the room. “Well, ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ didn’t work, and ‘Ghost Rider’ didn’t really sell tickets. And ‘Drive Angry’, that just came and went.'”
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