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Nicolas Cage shares surprising news about his impending retirement

Actor says he wants to ‘say bye on a high note’

Kevin E G Perry
Monday 04 December 2023 20:33 EST
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Nicolas Cage names his top five Nicolas Cage films

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Nicolas Cage has revealed that he may only have “three or four more movies” left in his career, adding that he wants to “say bye on a high note”.

The 59-year-old has appeared in a number of new releases this year, including The Retirement Plan, Renfield, The Flash, Sympathy For The Devil and his latest film Dream Scenario.

However, he toldVanity Fair that he is now “starting to cement” a plan for his retirement.

“I may have three or four more movies left in me,” he said. “I do feel I’ve said what I’ve had to say with cinema. I think I took film performance as far as I could. I want to say bye on a high note.”

Cage, who turns 60 in January, added: “I was taking stock of how much time I had left. I thought, ‘OK, my dad died at 75, I’m going to be turning 60. If I’m lucky, I have maybe a good 15 years and hopefully more. What do I want to do with those 15 years, using my father as the model? It occurred very clearly to me that I want to spend time with my family.”

Cage’s youngest daughter, August Francesca, who he shares with wife Riko Shibata, was born last year. Speaking about his career, Cage said: “Maybe it’s time to look at the immersive streaming experience. I don’t know. I have to look for the next step and I haven’t found it yet.”

Nicolas Cage in Dream Scenario
Nicolas Cage in Dream Scenario (A24/AP)

The Oscar-winning actor, who has starred in films include National Treasure and Leaving Las Vegas, said he is “concerned” about how his image might be used when he dies.

“I’m thinking a lot about what happens to my likeness when I pass on,” he said. “I don’t want, for example, Peter Loew (Vampire’s Kiss) or Frank Pierce (Bringing Out The Dead) or Cameron Poe (Con Air) or any of these characters that I’ve created to be put into a computer that decides what to do with them.”

Talking about what might be next for him, he added: “I do want to get much more severe and stringent in my selection process. But I want to look ahead. I want to see what’s next.”

Back in October, Cage’s The Weather Man co-star Sir Michael Caine confirmed that he would be retiring from acting after the release of his film The Great Escaper. The 90-year-old told the BBC: “I keep saying I’m going to retire. Well I am now.”

Additional reporting by Press Association

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