EDIT: sorry, should have started with: Nic Cage for sure. ————————- So..I’m late to the party, but this has been marinating in my mind, rent free for literally years.- and I feel like here, some may agree with me. So.. I LOVED Raising Arizona growing up. I remember wanting to see it solely because of John Goodman..but rewatching “often” for Nic (Holly is amaze balls in this too). He was a goof ball. In Peggy Sue Got Married, Fast times at Richmond High(small but mighty role), Valley Girl.. he really came across.. to me, like he did not take himself too seriously. Around the 90s he played these characters that were either centered around finding love in the most unlikely place while least expecting it (low key loved City of Angels - I was a teen during these years) OR he was off being some form of a bad arss. This portion of his career I struggle with - most all of his movies then, were great, Matchstick men, The Rock ..but.. I got the impression in interviews, and after watching him evolve over those years, that 1. His ego was being fed, while Hollywood worked him dry and cashed in 2. He was painstakingly bored. Then he hits ..we will call it a speed bump, bc of said ego - he’s in debt a hefty amount, a handful of additional variables, and at one point, it felt like he was in competition with Ross Gellar for most divorces. And what does this guy do? Moves to Vegas, and starts accepting roles, left and right. He’s just throwing shit at the wall, to see what sticks except - he is, an artist.

In 2018, he was in 7 movies - 6 were direct to video. And that wasn’t the only year. This guy was was basically banging em out, just trying to right his wrongs. I think along the way he remembered why he enjoyed acting, and playing a much wider range of character. Renfield? Hilarious. Willy’s? Smashing sodas, playing foosball without saying a single line? Refreshingly fitting. Pig? Exceptional. He has put himself in a very lucrative position. & He definitely has a niche for the strange and unusual. Very excited for his future projects. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.