HE WAS once one of the biggest stars in Tinseltown with an Oscar on his mantelpiece and directors falling all over themselves to sign him up.
Quirky hits, action films, romantic weepies - you name it, Nicolas Cage starred in them all.
But then it all went pearshaped and Nicolas went from being a big deal to a bit of a joke. The 58-year old became better known for starring in memes and appearing in YouTubeclip compilations of his most outrageous movie moments.
And the films he did make even pre-pandemic – were never going to be screened in cinemas.
To top it all, Nicolas was practically broke after burning through a $150million (R2,25 billion) fortune and owing the US revenue service property taxes of $6,3m (R94,5m).
Little wonder then that he took on as many jobs as he could and he did score a few cult favourites such as Pig, Mandy and Color Out of Space.
His box-office clout might have vanished but he never gave up.
And his tenacity has paid off. Nicolas' combination of old blockbuster smashes, prestige indies and mangled mix of duds made him the perfect choice for the new movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
The action-comedy, which was first screened at festivals earlier this year, is his first big-screen appearance since 2016 and it's had nothing but rave reviews.
Nicolas plays Nick Cage, an egocentric, down-on-his-luck version of himself who accepts a $1m (R15m) offer from a wealthy mega-fan (played by Pedro Pascal) to attend a party in Spain.
He also plays the imaginary Nicky, his bombastic '90s alter ego.
Nick quickly finds himself in a real-life action adventure as he tumbles down a rabbit hole of references to his past roles after discovering his fan is also a dangerous druglord.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 21 April 2022 من YOU South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 21 April 2022 من YOU South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
BALLON IN THE BAG
Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football
IT WAS ALL A LIE
A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country
AGREE TO DISAGREE
Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book
PAUSE THE CLOCK
Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down
MPOOMY ON TOP
We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok Nǎka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court
MATT THE RECLUSE
A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight
A LEAP OF FAITH
After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it