Nicolas Cage has never been one to say “no” to a role, and his latest film, The Surfer, proves just that. The Oscar-winning actor recently opened up about his time filming the psychological thriller, and let’s just say it wasn’t all sipping piña coladas and watching sunsets.
Nicolas Cage on The Surfer: “I Could’ve Died”
Cage stars as a businessman who returns to his Australian hometown to reclaim the beach house he grew up in. Sounds like a hopeful movie, right? Wrong. A group of territorial locals sparks chaos, pushing Cage’s character to his emotional and physical limits.
Despite the title of the movie and the name of his character, Cage wasn’t able to do much surfing for the film. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cage revealed several reasons why he didn’t surf much during filming (so for those who haven’t seen the movie yet, don’t expect to see the National Treasure actor pulling off tricks on a surfboard).
He said, “We had things like weather conditions and believe it or not, shark reports and things, all that s—.”
Similar to his character, who only wanted to surf, Cage has spent his whole life trying to surf, but life keeps stacking the cards against him: “I have surfed, but every time I’ve attempted surfing, I’ve been pounded to smithereens. I surfed down on Sunset Beach. When I was trying to learn, my teacher gave me a shortboard. I said, ‘Look, I want a long board.’”
But even with a long board, the actor and film producer still can’t get his bearings to ride the waves. He said, “I just got pounded and literally got stuck in the rip tide, and they said they saw my board, they call it ‘tombstone,’ like that triangle top. I’m climbing up the leash as I’m somersaulting, and I could have died. Now I have a young kid, I don’t know if I want to do it anymore.”
Still, he admitted that “The goal is to retire, surf, drink red wine, and eat spaghetti.”
What’s Next for Him
Cage is set to appear in the upcoming drama The Prince, directed by Cameron Van Hoy, alongside Scott Haze, J.K. Simmons, Giancarlo Esposito, Andy Garcia, and more. He’ll also star in the horror film The Carpenter’s Son, featuring FKA Twigs, Noah Jupe, and Souheila Yacoub. Additionally, Cage will take on the titular role in Madden, a biopic about legendary football coach John Madden.
The Surfer is currently playing in theaters.
