Nicolas Cage, Single Dad On and Off-Screen

Nicolas Cage gained recent box-office fame for his adventurous role in the puzzle-filled National Treasure series. This time around, in Knowing, Cage is unraveling the mystery behind an ominous message found in a time capsule that appears to have the power to foretell disasters, including the end of the world.

For Cage, playing a character raising his son alone brought back personal memories of being a single dad to his own son, Weston. Plus, why the actor doesn't do more comedy.

Q: This film had a very personal connection for you, didn't it?

A: I dedicated it to my first son, Weston, because our relationship was like the one I have as a single dad with the young actor, Chandler Canterbury, who plays my boy in the film. Some of the lines in our scenes came out of direct memories of my times with Weston. I had been looking for a way to express those feelings for a long time. When Weston was growing up I was a single father in Los Angeles and there were some challenges. But just because you're a man doesn't mean you can't raise your kid. I learned that if you are a single father don't give up no matter what they say.

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Q: Do you believe in predicting the future, especially when it comes to impending disasters?

A: I'm not someone that would say that it's not possible, but I 'm not sure we need any special powers to see that's where we're heading. The end of the world is on people's minds. We have the power to destroy or save ourselves, but the question is what do you do with that responsibility.

Related: Nicolas Cage's Life-Threatening Role

Q: What would you do if you had the power?

A: I'd want to know, when it came to my children, if there was a way I could prevent something from hurting them. I don't think there's anything that would surpass my parental survival instincts. It's like in the film when my son asks, 'Am I going to die now?' And I say, 'I will never let that happen.' But on the other hand, I like surprises. I think if we knew everything that was going to happen in life it would be very boring.

Q: There's a horrific plane crash in the movie. What was it like to film that?

A: The people stumbling out of the wreckage were on fire even if they were wearing protective clothing. We did it all in one continuous shot. I was worried that if I made a mistake we'd have to go back to the beginning and light them on fire again. They were stunt people, but they're still people. I was genuinely scared for them, so I didn't have to act. You are actually seeing a guy who's terrified.

Q: There's plenty of action but not the kind of body count that we've seen in some your other films.

A: I got a little tired of doing movies where I just had to shoot people. At this point in my life, I would rather entertain you without servicing your appetite for bloodlust. I don't want to be gratuitous by helping you get off watching somebody's head explode. In the beginning, my desire to act came from an almost punk rock need to express a lot of anger, wherever that may have come from. As I've gotten older, it's coming more from a place of wanting to use the craft to help others in some way.

Q: What's coming up next?

A: I'm about to start filming The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which is based on the Disney animated feature, Fantasia. I'm the sorcerer and Jay Baruchel plays my apprentice. I loved Fantasia as a kid because it filled me with wonder, enchantment and awe. It was my first real introduction into classical music. It was totally inspiring to me. So it's kind of a big moment for me to be able to bring back a part of it to a new audience.

Q: Why don't you do more comedies?

A: I don't find the same things funny that many other people seem to find funny. I don't really respond to sex jokes and stuff like that. Some of my friends look at me and go, 'Come on, Nic. That was my best joke. Why aren't you laughing?' I go, 'I really don't know why I'm not laughing. I'm sort of out of sync with it.' So I'd have to find something that was really about weird human behavior for me to laugh.

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