Nicolas Cage is undoubtedly an established name in Hollywood. The "Renfield" star won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in the 1995 film "Leaving Las Vegas." He was undeniably a superstar of 90s movie culture, featuring in major films such as "Con Air," "The Rock," and "Face/Off."
Cage has showcased his talent in beloved films like “National Treasure”, earned praise for his role in “Adaptation”, and charmed audiences in romantic comedies like “It Could Happen” to You, and has been listed by Forbes as one of the highest-paid actors of all time.
During an appearance on CBS' "60 Minutes," the Academy Award-winning actor discussed how he found himself in— and then out of — millions of dollars of debt over the last decade, revealing he took "crummy" movie roles to pay off $6 million in debt after he "overinvested in real estate" before the market crashed in the late 2000s.
The “Dying of The Light” star said that it was properties, which include castles in Germany and England, as well as a mansion in New Orleans and a private island in the Bahamas, not eccentric purchases such as dinosaur skulls and a pet octopus, that racked up his hefty debts.
"I was overinvested in real estate. It wasn't because I spent $80 on an octopus. The real-estate market crashed, and I couldn't get out in time."
As a result, he leaned into his work. And between 2009 and 2015, Cage starred in just over 24 films.
"I paid them all back, but it was about $6 million. I never filed for bankruptcy," he said.
"That had to be a dark period for you," CBS' Sharyn Alfonsi said.
"It was dark, sure," the "Moonstruck" actor responded, adding that "work was always my guardian angel" and taking on three to four movies a year helped him get through the period and pay off the debts.
Speaking on the movies he made during that time, many of which were released direct-to-video, he said: "Even if the movie ultimately is crummy, they know I'm not phoning it in, that I care every time."
"But there are those folks that are probably thinking that the only good acting that I can do is the acting that I chose to do by design, which was more operatic and, you know, larger-than-life and so-called 'Cage rage,' and all that. But you're not going to get that every time. "
Some of Cage's films have been widely criticized, including Outcast, Left Behind, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Trespass, all of which hold Rotten Tomatoes review scores below 20 percent.
.jpeg "Nicolas Cage in The Runner")
Between 2000 and 2007, Nick Cage reportedly went on a legendary spending spree. He dropped enormous amounts of money on not just expansive real estate holdings (15 different homes!) but luxury yachts, exotic cars, a $30 million Gulfstream private jet, and even a private island.
He also apparently spent $150,000 on a pet octopus and bought the first Superman comic, also for $150,000.
The actor also purchased a 70-million-year-old dinosaur skull for $276,000, reportedly outbidding fellow actor Leonardo DiCaprio. However, it was later discovered to be stolen, and he had to return the skull to the Mongolian government.