Nicolas Cage has opened up about some of the professional fallout that can happen in Hollywood when major roles don’t go as planned.
Speaking in a recent interview with The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor said that filmmakers claimed that several high-profile directors including Christopher Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson and Woody Allen allegedly stopped working with him after he turned down their films.
Cage specifically pointed to Nolan, saying their communication cooled after he passed on a part in the 2002 crime thriller Insomnia, which starred Al Pacino, Hilary Swank and Robin Williams.
“Nolan ceased returning my calls after I declined Insomnia,” Cage claimed, adding that in his experience, “most of them get their feelings hurt and don’t call you back.”
The actor said this kind of reaction has happened “a million times,” suggesting that declining roles can sometimes end potential collaborations in the industry.
Nicolas Cage also reflected on an earlier near-collaboration with Anderson, saying they had discussed working together on one of the director’s early projects after he was shown a short film featuring the late actor Philip Baker Hall, but the project ultimately never materialized.
Cage is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards.