Nicolas Cage turned down parts in two big franchise movies for roles he thought were better

Nicolas Cage admitted he turned down the opportunity to appear in two big franchise films in order to play roles he felt better suited his desires at the time.

During a recent interview with Complex News, the 62-year-old actor reflected on his career choices, saying there were two instances when he had to decide between two roles, which led him to turn down parts in two franchises.

"One was when Jim Carrey wanted me to do 'Dumb and Dumber' and I said I'd rather do 'Leaving Las Vegas,' and the other was 'Spider-Man' as the Green Goblin and I said I'd rather do 'Adaptation,'" he said. "Both those choices gave me more to do as an actor."

Jeff Daniels went on to star as Harry Dunne in "Dumb and Dumber" and its 2014 sequel, "Dumb and Dumber To." The role of the Green Goblin in "Spider-Man" ultimately went to Willem Dafoe, who played the character again in the film's two sequels in 2004 and 2007, and once more in the 2021 movie, "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

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Cage revealed he turned down roles in "Spider-Man" and "Dumb and Dumber" for roles in two Academy Award-nominated movies. (Eric Charbonneau/Roadside Attractions via Getty Images)

While he missed out on appearing in the two franchises, Cage noted that he "chose what I thought was better for me at that time," adding, "I think I made the right choice."

"To play twins in a movie was a big challenge and daunting and I don't know if I could do it again. It was a lot," he added. "And to play Ben, that script just sang to me. So I would have done it had those other opportunities not been on the table, but in this case."

He starred in "Leaving Las Vegas" in 1995, playing alcoholic screenwriter Ben, who begins an unconventional relationship with a sex worker in Las Vegas. The role earned him an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award win.

His work in the 2002 movie, "Adaptation," playing twin brothers Charlie and Donald earned him his second Academy Award and fourth Golden Globe Award nomination.

Cage won an Academy Award for his role in "Leaving Las Vegas." (Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)

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While discussing what it was like preparing for his role in the 2024 movie, "The Surfer," Cage told Entertainment Weekly he "got pounded to smithereens" while practicing his surfing skills.

"I just got pounded and literally got stuck in the rip tide, and they said they saw my board, they call it 'tombstone,' like that triangle top," he said. "I'm climbing up the leash as I'm somersaulting, and I could have died...Now I have a young kid, I don't know if I want to do it anymore."

Cage has three children with three different women, including Weston, 35, who he shares with actress Christina Fulton; Kal-El, 20, who he shares with his third wife, Alice Kim; and August Francesca, 3, who he shares with his current wife, Riko Shibata.

The actor spoke in the past about how his relationship with his children has always been his number one priority, sharing that he turned down roles in two major blockbuster franchises to be closer to his kids.

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Cage said he turned down roles in "Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix" because he didn't want to be away from his kids. (JC Olivera/Getty Images)

"First and foremost ... there's no version of Nick Cage in reality that doesn't want to spend time with his children," he told People in April 2022. "There's no version of Nick Cage that didn't put family first over career."

He continued: "I turned down 'Lord of the Rings' and I turned down 'Matrix' because I didn't want to go to New Zealand for three years or Australia for three years because I needed to be home with my son Weston, that's a fact."

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