Nicolas Cage Reveals Two Blockbuster Movie Roles He Turned Down — And Why Major Directors Refuse to Work with Him
Nicolas Cage claims he turned down roles in two blockbuster movies and sticks by decisions.
May 28 2026, Published 11:34 a.m. ET
Nicolas Cage claims he turned down two blockbuster movie roles – which may have reshaped his career.
RadarOnline.com can reveal that the Hollywood star, 62, has opened up about almost starring in an iconic superhero film and a cult-classic comedy.
A Dumb Move?
Cage says he was lined up to appear in 'Dumb and Dumber' and 'Spider-Man' films.
The actor said he nearly played supervillain Green Goblin in the 2002 Spider-Man movie starring Tobey Maguire, but backed out leaving Willem Dafoe to take on the role.
Cage also claims he was set to play Lloyd Christmas in the Farrelly Brothers' classic Dumb and Dumber, a role Jim Carrey made famous.
Despite both films becoming blockbusters, Cage said he does not regret his decisions.
Regarding Spider-Man, Cage recalled once having a conversation with director Sam Raimi, where he pitched an idea that was shut down.
'Those Decisions Were The Right Ones For Me'
Willem Dafoe and Jim Carrey ended up taking the roles Cage claims to have swerved.
"Sam and I had a great lunch, and I did say during the lunch, 'Listen, whoever plays Spider-Man, let them do one scene where they're crawling around like a spider when they're alone,' and it didn't happen," he shared with the outlet.
"He wanted me to do the Green Goblin. I liked the idea of Sam Raimi, because of Evil Dead 1 and 2, and I wanted to work with him, but I had this other film called Adaptation."
On turning down Dumb and Dumber, he told Variety. "It happened with Jim and Dumb and Dumber, and I said, 'I'm going to do this other film called Leaving Las Vegas.'
"And with Sam, I told him, 'I'm going to do Adaptation.' Both those decisions were the right ones for me, and I'm happy with those results."
'They Don't Call Me Back'
Cage has revealed which top directors no longer want to work with him.
In the 1995 romantic drama film Leaving Las Vegas, Cage starred opposite Elisabeth Shue.
Cage went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie.
In another interview, Cage also admitted many top directors no longer want to work with him.
He told the New York Times podcast The Interview: "Most of them, they get their feelings hurt and don’t call you back. It's happened a million times to me.
"It's happened with Christopher Nolan, it’s happened with Woody Allen, it’s happened with Paul Thomas Anderson. They don't call me back."
RadarOnline.com recently revealed how Cage is struggling to shed the 50 pounds he gained to play legendary football coach and commentator John Madden in an upcoming biopic.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The veteran actor is struggling to lose weight piled on to play John Madden.
Months after the movie wrapped, the 62-year-old Oscar winner is still not back in shape and is going to extreme lengths to slim down.
He generally weighs around 180 or 190, but he rocketed right up to the mid-200s for the role," an insider said.
"Shedding that much has been a major challenge for Nic and is not something he's used to."
The Moonstruck star and his tight-knit team are sure the film, titled Madden, will be a huge success.
"It's a wild, wacky, and fun movie that a lot of people are going to fall in love with and that every fan of football is going to want to see multiple times," said an insider.
But playing the hefty Madden, who died in 2021 at the age of 85, required a full-body transformation for the usually fit actor.
"He hates what he had to do to his body to get ready," the source said.
"He went outside his comfort zone on this one, and he's still getting over the weight gain he put into looking the part."
