Please bear in mind that this is a translation into English from the Spanish original, which in turn got translated from the conversation the reporter had with Nic... in Enligsh. So, what Nic originally said might be silghty different from what you read here...

I love the literary excercise August made him do: writing the missing chapter of a novel. What I wouldn´t give to read those early creative efforts!

Nicolas Cage: "I have an adventurous spirit"
05:33
The nephew of Francis Coppola acts in "Knowing" the thriller with apocalyptic overtones which premieres today. Clarin spoke with music about his childhood, David Lynch and, of course, his uncle.

By: Paul O. Scholz

He says, lying on a comfy chair in front of a snowy Central Park, not far from where he lives, that he discovered that science fiction was one of the only ways to be abstract and at the same time remain connected with the public. Nicolas Cage (45) is so tall as to have to bend his knees to sit on the couch. And so kind as to answer some personal questions that are not strictly related to Knowing, the apocalyptic thriller that debuts today in Argentina.

"We need to be given a fresh vision of a genre that was claiming to return to some originality. And it has. This movie reminds me of The Twilight Zone, the Rod Serling series," he says.



There are hundreds of films about disasters.

Knowing is different because it has a strong spiritual theme and how it is solved is also very spiritual. I do not want to go into details, but it is not like other films that deal with disasters as a form of entertainment, but more like how this family is facing what is happening, and how to deal with spiritual evolution. It was something I had to say. We are experiencing difficult times, it is hard for everyone. And I think in difficult times people tend to evaluate what is really important.



To what extent is it important for you to draw the spiritual, religious dimension?

Whatever the path, there´s always the same spirit. It's all I can say. I do not use the word religion often. It's a tough call. I prefer to be more mysterious and leave it in "spirit".



Are you interested in prophecy and the future?

I find it fascinating to read about these predictions. People like Nostradamus always fascinated me. Although I must say I prefer the element of surprise. I think if you always know what will happen all the time, I´m afraid that life would be very boring then.

Are you a believer?

My spirituality is deeply personal to me. I'm not talking about that.

Are you afraid of something?

Of fear itself.

Do you think the film has a happy ending?

I do not have an answer.( Blunt)



Do you have any relationship with Argentina?

The only thing I know is that I´d really like to go there sometime.



Your uncle was filming there last year.

There, yes. Shooting "Tetro". I know. It's fascinating.



Did you have any talks with him about it? Do you talk to him often?

Ours is a busy family, as you can imagine. Everyone is doing their stuff. Occasionally we communicate by mail. We salute. But I'm glad he´s back behind the camera doing his job.



Coming from a family that has many ties to art, what was the moment when you decided: I'm going to be an actor?

I think that always interested me. As a boy I spent much time imagining myself in my yard as many different guys, fantastic situations where I was an astronaut or a knight in a castle. I had wonderful experiences. I think those are my roots, I use my imagination and represent characters, since I was very small.



Di you write some when you were a kid?

Yes, my father (August, brother of Francis Coppola) encouraged me to write stories. He is a writer and I wrote missing chapters. I read a book and put a chapter in the book that was not in the original work.

And what were they? Fantastic stories?

I wrote as a foreign correspondent who was in the book and talked to the characters and reported back what their life was in the book, it could be King Arthur, or Moby Dick...

That was as a 12 years, 14 year old, says he in a very relaxed mood. But then the decision to become an actor came, I have an adventurous spirit and I knew that if I became an actor I would be taken to locations around the world, meet all sorts of people and experience new things to satisfy my appetite for life and nature. For example, I just shot Season of the Witch: I had to spend some time in the Austrian Alps and it was great for me that my children got to learn to ride a horse.



What about music? You were a good friend of Johnny Ramone. You wanted to be a musician? Do you play an instrument?

I wanted to be a musician as I love music. I believe that all art aspires to be music on some level, including performance. But I received no lessons or instruments for music at that time. I do not know what would have happened if I had focused on music. But I do know that there are amazingly talented people in my family who are better at music than I am.

Cage mostly prefers to listen to classical music: Beethoven and Bach. And Wagner ... Will you see operas too?

Yes, I went to see The Libertine Career, by Stravinsky, in Vienna, which left me cold. I had no idea that one leaves for the theater one night and goes to see frontal nudity. There is a scene with a massive orgy. And I'm there with my wife and my son. Now, having said that, it was amazingly well done, if a little shocking. I could have expected it in Las Vegas, but did not know it would happen in Vienna ...

As for his method for acting, he prefers improvisation.

I have, from time to time, incorporated my interest as a writer to my work. Most directors have allowed me to get involved through improvisation or writing a particular line of dialogue. I could indulge in the pleasure of writing screenplays. Sometimes I can say words that come from within me.



Happened with David Lynch, for example?

Ah, yes, absolutely. We made a lot of improvising together. He is one of the great directors who really loves jazz, and loves the idea of jazz, that is, to know and learn the text and find the notes you want to play, but to improvise and explore other areas through the spontaneity of jazz, where sounds are more faithful. Becomes more abstract in the sense that this way it may get closer to the truth.



Is there any chance we see you in such films as "Wild Heart", or working with your uncle again?

All he has to do is call. But it didn´t work out yet. On a personal level, we speak, but we haven´t spoken on a professional level for quite some time now. We are very busy doing our own things.

http://www.clarin.com/diario/2009/04/02/um/m-01889370.htm

-- Edited by mara on Saturday 4th of April 2009 11:46:39 AM