Why Nicolas Cage rejected Lord of the Rings and Matrix roles

Nicolas Cage recently opened up about some major movie roles he turned down, specifically in Lord of the Rings and The Matrix. The reason? He wanted to stay close to his son, Weston, who was still under ten at the time. Cage didn’t want to be away for extended periods while filming these iconic franchises, which were shot in New Zealand and Australia, respectively.

Interestingly, Cage almost passed on playing a version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent because his character doesn’t come off as the best father to his teenage daughter, portrayed by Lily Sheen (daughter of Kate Beckinsale and Michael Sheen). In an interview with PEOPLE, he emphasized the difference between the fictional portrayal and the real him, stating, “First and foremost, there’s no version of Nic Cage in reality that doesn’t want to spend time with his children. There’s no version of Nic Cage that didn’t put family first over career.” He firmly reiterated that his family was a priority, which is why he turned down those major films: “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.”

Cage concluded by highlighting the stark contrast between the character in Massive Talent and who he truly is as a person. While it’s easy to picture Cage in a role in The Matrix, perhaps even as Agent Smith (originally played by Hugo Weaving), imagining him in the lush world of Middle Earth is a bit more challenging. If he had taken on a role there, he might have even stepped into Weaving’s shoes again, portraying the ancient elf Elrond.

It’s fascinating to consider how different Cage’s career might have been had he joined these massive franchises in the early 2000s. That era of his career already featured a mix of varied films, such as Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out the Dead, Gone in 60 Seconds, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and Spike Jonze’s Adaptation. The decisions he made definitely shaped the unique path he has followed in Hollywood.