My thoughts? Um....actually I think Nic can do any role that he sets his mind too if he takes his time between flicks and seriously does his homework for a role AND if he lets a director direct him.
For this role, I would have loved to have seen him give himself fully over to the director and to reign in his own visions....which may be what the 'creative differences' was all about.....trying to control the vision of the piece.
Obviously with all the awards and hype going to THE WRESTLER, the director knew what he envisioned for the movie and it worked.
I would have loved to have seen Nic up on that award stage for this role.
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"Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do" ~~Gian Carlo Menotti~~
Mara - that's interesting... I never heard that... but, that's certainly a possibility seeing that Aronofsky never really wanted Nic as "The Wrestler"... so if Cage attempted to place "his" spin on how "The Wrestler" should be portrayed, I can see how there would be major creative differences...
The director also said that Nic texted him a congratulations message after they won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He said something along the lines of "Mickey was always the wrestler. Gongratulations". Thatīs amazingly generous of him.
On a less positive note, thereīs reports that Nic and Aronofsky had major creative differences during pre-production, which is very common with A-listers and strong-willed directors I guess. Who knows about that...
From what I'm hearing from Hollywood sources and from what reports tell us, the director never really wanted Cage. He always had his heart set on Rourke playing the role. However, the movie company wanted Cage because they would have gotten a bigger budget to shoot the movie because Cage was a bigger name.
Initially, the director went along with the plan but later, he really felt Rourke would have done the role justice. So the director personally phoned Cage and explained that although he felt Cage would have been good, he thought Rourke was perfect and really had his heart set on Rourke playing the role.
Nic, being the awesome guy he is, bowed out gracefully. The budget was cut but the director was right!!! Mickey Rourke was amazing as "The Wrestler" and most people in Hollywood believe he will walk home with the oscar.
I think director Aronofsky saw parallels between the character and Mickey Rourke. Casting Rourke meant less of a budget but that's how it is...Rourke didn't get paid.
"Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do" ~~Gian Carlo Menotti~~
Nic was attached to do this movie but for some reason (reports why vary) he didn't do it. Mickey Rourke did the role Nic was supposed to do and he's been winning tons of praises and awards for it.
One can't help wonder what Nic would have brought to the role as apparently it's the kind to garner Oscar talk.
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"Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do" ~~Gian Carlo Menotti~~
