One of cinema’s most unforgettable gifts is a viral video montage showcasing Nicolas Cage’s most explosive on-screen meltdowns. However, the actor recently shared that he initially wrestled with complicated emotions about the clip—until he found the perfect screenplay to channel his frustrations into a compelling character.
During the world-premiere screening of his latest comedy, Dream Scenario, at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the 59-year-old opened up about how his reaction to the infamous YouTube compilation fueled his performance. In the film, Cage plays a man whose life is thrown into chaos when he inexplicably begins appearing in violent and unsettling dreams shared by millions worldwide.
“I think I might’ve been the first actor to wake up one morning and see a montage of my most intense meltdown moments from different movies edited together and uploaded online,” Cage said during a post-screening Q&A. “I believe it was called Nicolas Cage Losing His S—. It spread like wildfire overnight, and I kept asking myself, ‘What is happening to me?’”
As the video gained traction, its popularity continued to snowball. “It just kept growing and getting bigger,” Cage explained. “I had no legal recourse, no way to stop it. Then, it evolved into this whole meme-ification process, with Photoshopped images everywhere. Eventually, I thought, ‘I need to channel this energy somewhere.’ When I read Dream Scenario, I knew this was my chance to turn this strange phenomenon into something creative.”
Since its debut in 2011, the viral montage—edited by Harry Hanrahan—has amassed millions of views. The video features a mix of Cage’s most exaggerated performances, including the infamous Wicker Man scene where his character is swarmed by bees.
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli and produced by Ari Aster, Dream Scenario boasts a stellar cast including Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula, Dylan Baker, and Tim Meadows. The film is set to hit theaters on November 10, courtesy of A24.
