Interview: Nicolas Cage on his new film, Ghost Rider 2
Nicolas Cage is an Oscar-winning actor known for his anti-hero type roles. Beth Hinchliffe talks to the star about comic books, motorcycles & most importantly, Ghost Rider
You play both Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider this time around, was that a major appeal for you, actually playing the Ghost Rider?
“Yeah, I mean, that was an opportunity to experiment with movement and my state of mind, to really believe I was this character. It was actually Brian Taylor [director] who had the idea for me to do that; he was an enormous advocate of it.”
Did your family have a word with you about taking extra caution when you were riding the motorcycle during filming?
No! She [wife Alice Kim] loved it. She thought it looked great. She thought it was a very sexy motorcycle, she even wanted to have a ride on it. The truth is, I was blessed to work with the Yamaha V-max. I have had my experiences on several different motorcycles and they’re the best. If you think something, that you want the bike to do, it’ll happen. My life insurance today tells me that I’m not allowed to ride motorcycles in my own life, so whenever I get the chance to do a movie and ride a bike, I go for it.”
You appear to be getting in touch with your spiritual side while playing both parts. Did you experience anything inexplicable
or supernatural while filming?
“I’m of the opinion that everything supernatural is in the imagination. I had wonderful flights of fancy in my imagination as I was playing the Ghost Rider. I can’t say that anything outside the realm of the natural occurred while filming though.”
How did you find shooting the movie in Romania?
“Romania was kind of a spooky cool place to make a movie and in fact the castle, the alleged Vlad Tepes castle, was there. It just added to the charm of it and to ride my motorcycle out there and to be around all those kind of scary energies that were beautiful in some way, I just think it stimulated me.”
Are there any challenges that you face as an actor in relation to filming in 3D?
“I see 3D as a tool to be used when it suits the character or the storyline. I think it’s not something that you should use all the time, it’s just another paintbrush to work with. Ghost Rider is a character, I think that matches well with 3D. The chain can go into the audience and the fire and the motorcycle and so all of that I wanted to see in Spirit Of Vengeance.”
In the great range of characters that you have played over the years, are Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider your favourites?
“Ghost Rider was a character that had an enormous influence on my childhood, you know, I was eight when I discovered Ghost Rider and in fact, I had the very first comic. I would stare at that picture, of that cover, and I couldn’t get my head around how something so terrifying to look at, who was in fact using forces of evil, could also be considered good. How is this a super hero? So it was like my first philosophical awakening. This movie isn’t sanctimonious at all. It’s about pop art. It’s about having fun. It’s about going along for the ride. If you want to compete in this day and age with other comic book films, and every other movie is one, you have to provide an alternative and Ghost Rider does that.”
You’re a huge comic book fan. Do you have any favourite characters from the comics you read as a child and now?
“I’ve always liked the monsters. I like the Hulk. I feel bad for him or I did as a child. I want to make it clear though, there might be a little bit of misperception about me, blowing out of proportion my love of comics. Yes, I’m loyal to them, like Rose-Bud in Citizen Kane, I love the influences of my childhood but I’m not up at 4am with a stack of Spider-Man comics and a tray of cookies!”
You seem drawn to playing the anti-hero characters. What do you think it is about them that attracts you?
“I am attracted to characters that have some obstacle to overcome, whether it’s inside of them or outside of them, because to me that’s drama.”
Are there any real life people who you would like to play?
“Generally, my instinct is to not do biographical movies. I want to build characters and not be locked into playing a part in history, for me, what’s interesting is creating somebody and introducing you to that person. I don’t want to play other people that I know of per se.”
Given the incredible variety of roles you have played over the years, do you ever regret that you never got to be Superman as it was once suggested?
“No. The only regret I have is not having a chance to work with Tim Burton. I hope that some day we will work together. I know it would be special. But as far as that particular character goes, I have no regrets. I think that Ghost Rider is a far better match for me.”
Finally, what scared you as a child, and does anything scare you now?
“I think I’m always fearful of something happening to people I love, that doesn’t go away. What scared me as a child was Lon Chaney as the Phantom Of The Opera. The mask would come off and I’d see his face and it would just really freak me out. Of course now, I love him for it. What does that say about my human psychology? I love Lon Chaney for scaring me like that.”
Ghost Rider 2: Spirit Of Vengeance, in 3D and 2D, is in cinemas now.
