We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Nicolas Cage, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the popular actor and public figure that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Got His Teeth Pulled to Help Him for a Role. It sounds painful, but it’s true! While working on 1984’s Birdy, Cage got his teeth pulled so he could “connect with some kind of physical pain.” He wanted to connect with the pain because his character gets very badly hurt in Vietnam.
Number Seven: He Ate a Live Cockroach. While filming 1989’s Vampire’s Kiss, Cage actually ate a live cockroach for a scene – it wasn’t staged! His manager got his next birthday cake in the shape of a cockroach because of it.
Number Six: Roger Ebert Loved Him. The late movie critic Roger Ebert loved and respected Cage’s acting style and skill, and he always insisted on including Cage in lists of great actors. He described Cage as having two speeds: “intense and intenser.”
Number Five: He Looks Up to Robert De Niro. Cage has said that his idols include Jerry Lewis, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Robert De Niro, and Cary Grant.
Number Four: He Turned Down a Part in Dumb and Dumber. According to Cage, Jim Carrey offered him a role in the now iconic film, but he turned it down so he could work on Leaving Las Vegas.
Number Three: He Helped Make Johnny Depp Famous. Cage connected Depp to an agent who helped Depp get his first role in Nightmare on Elm Street. Interestingly, Cage and Depp met through Lori Allison, who is a makeup artist and Depp’s ex-wife.
Number Two: He Donated $1 Million to Victims of Hurricane Katrina. If you still aren’t convinced Cage is a cool dude, this should do it!
Number One: He Named His Son After Superman. Cage reportedly named his son Kal-el after Superman’s “Kryptonian name.” We hope you enjoyed our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Nicolas Cage!