What does it mean when an actor retires from their chosen craft? Cinephiles have seen this phenomenon relatively recently, when Daniel Day-Lewis announced that The Phantom Thread would be his last onscreen work. For admirers of that particular actor’s work, it can feel like a blow; even so, it’s also understandable, given the intensity that the best actors put into their work.
All of which is a somewhat roundabout way to say that a recent announcement from Nicolas Cage offers encouragement to those eager to see what Cage might do five, 10 or 20 years from now. As Zack Sharf at IndieWire reports, Cage recently brought up the subject of retirement in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He made his feelings on the subject clear.
“I’m never going to retire,” Cage said.
Some context: Cage had mentioned that he was planning to take a short break after his next two projects. “I think it’s time to recharge,” he told Entertainment Weekly. But he was also clear that this was not a prelude to retirement.
“To do what I do in cinema has been like a guardian angel for me, and I need it,” he said. “I’m healthier when I’m working, I need a positive place to express my life experience, and filmmaking has given me that.”
Some people run, some people meditate and some people play onscreen characters with explosives hooked to their testicles. If it works for Cage — and it means more of his singular presence onscreen — so be it.
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