Nicolas Cage Opens Up About His Most ‘Uncomfortably Awkward’ Performance

Nicolas Cage has revealed that his most challenging and awkward role was playing a version of himself in the 2022 film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Speaking to The Guardian, Cage said the experience left him feeling exposed and embarrassed.

“I think the hardest performance was The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, because I was playing a character called Nick Cage, and I couldn’t hide behind it,” he explained. “It was enormously uncomfortable. I felt very naked, and in some ways embarrassed, that I was even playing a part that referred to himself as Nicolas or Nick Cage.”

Cage admitted that the script initially made him uneasy because the character focused on career struggles and neglected his family.

However, director Tom Gormican reassured him with a heartfelt letter explaining that the film wasn’t mocking Cage but celebrating his unique career.

Cage shared with The Hollywood Reporter, “When I got Tom’s letter, then I thought, ‘OK, he’s not just trying to mock so-called Nick Cage; there is a real interest in some of the earlier work.’ His tone was more of a celebration of some of the moments — like being at the bottom of the pool in Leaving Las Vegas or the gold guns in Face/Off.”

Cage appreciated the effort to make the character evolve and go through a redemption arc, even if it wasn’t entirely accurate to his real life. “A version of Nick Cage that doesn’t want to spend time with his kid doesn’t exist,” he clarified, emphasizing the importance of family in his own life.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was directed by Gormican and co-written with Kevin Etten. The film stars Cage alongside Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish, and Caroline Boulton. It premiered at South by Southwest on March 12, 2022, and was released in the U.S. on April 22, 2022.

Critics generally praised the performances, particularly the chemistry between Cage and Pascal, and the film earned $29 million worldwide against a $30 million budget.

Cage’s candid reflection shows that even seasoned actors can feel vulnerable when portraying themselves. It’s fascinating to hear how the combination of humor, self-awareness, and heartfelt storytelling helped him push through the discomfort. What do you think about actors playing themselves on screen? Share your thoughts in the comments.