Nicolas Cage Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ

I know how fake these things can get, and I feel like you're a real person. I can't do the fake thing, man, I gotta tell you. Yeah, no, you're a real girl. I get it. I'm like, okay. That's why I come back, because I really, really despise being interviewed. I hate it. Why? Not from you, though. Oh, thanks. Welcome back to the studio, Omar Apollo. How are you? I'm good. I'm happy to be back in the studio. It's nice to have you. With you. The last time you were here, we had a great time. Yeah, we did. And I remember, you gave me my first ever, I don't know, man, I'm 37, so I don't have the lingo. Can you help me out with this? It's the TikTok thing where, oh God, I can hear myself gaining a cardigan and taking gold bond powder while I say this. You know, there's a TikTok thing where people are talking, and then other people afterwards just like mouth along to the original TikTok thing. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, like a synchronized kind of thing. It just became like a meme. Yeah, we became a meme. You're right. Yeah, we were memed. You guessing that I was a Taurus and me telling you that I didn't know anything about astrology. Yeah. Everyone thought we were flirty. Ah, come on. And I got all these. I got all these. Did you see these things, too? I got all these, like, TikTok things of like. You became a sex symbol. Well, I remained a sex symbol. I further cemented my status as a public radio bearded banjo playing sex symbol. I love that. Now everyone's got to come here. They got to stop here in Canada. They have to. That's what they say ever since that moment. Yeah. I'm just kidding. I'm not taking credit for that. No. You're amazing. No, it's all you, my friend. It's all you. And you know what? You get 10%. Okay, I'll do that. I hope you like 25 bucks. I need 25 bucks. Yeah. You know, I got it for you. How did last night go? You played Bud Stage last night? Yeah. Why didn't you go? I don't know. That's fucked up. It's because I'm a Taurus. I don't trust you. I'm a Taurus. You're supposed to be loyal. Is that a thing? I thought I was supposed to be stubborn. Grounded. That feels right. I was grounded, so I had to stay home. Oh, you had to stay home. Yeah. You missed an amazing show. You missed. It was prolific. We had prolific people there. It was Mustafa. Daniel Caesar. And you didn't come. How did you do it after- So fake. I cannot believe that. No, and you know what would have been really bad? What? I could have said, great, I was there. Oh, you could have lied. Yeah. I would have known if you were there. You think so? Yeah, of course. I think, I think- I would have asked like six people here. I'd be like, did you come? I learned a long time ago on this show to not lie. They all came. I was talking to them. I learned a long time ago on this show to not lie. I should have come. It was so good. Well, I apologize. I sounded amazing too. Anyways, go ahead. I learned a long time ago on this show not to lie about going to a show, whether or not you liked an album or a record or anything like that. You can tell me if you hated my record. I really didn't. I really liked your record. Now, I don't know how to feel. I don't want to skip ahead. I really liked your record. You did? But to like your record, I felt for you a lot. Yeah, I had a tough year, man. What happened? It was like a lot of things, but mostly like a little breakup. Not a little. It was colossal. But I mean, now I'm like better than I ever have been. You know, it's crazy. The cliche, you know, like things get better. Yeah, they do. And I believe that. And I think in the past two weeks, it's like proven it to me. Like the world's just kissed me on the forehead. And then I'm just like feeling amazing now. What do you mean? You were feeling low. You had an experience to break up. Yeah, like rock bottom. I think that just in everything, creatively, spiritually, just super low. Really, because can I tell you, like, I think I said this to you when you came in. All jokes aside, when you came in, I really loved talking to you. And sometimes what happens when I get to talk to people, right when they're like big records about to come out, is I feel like I got real love for them when I watch them. Like, whether like I saw them right before their album, their movie came out and I get to watch them at the Oscars and I'm kind of rooting for them like a friend, you know? And I felt that way about you when I think about the Grammys and everything you were doing. From the outside, everything looked pretty rosy. Of course, optically, I make things look perfect. But you know what? Internally, it's like it's a whole other thing. I think that, um, I was going to say something. No, I'm just really good looking. That's it? Wow. No, tell me, you went from Venice in Italy to Toronto, got right off stage at four o'clock. You probably had soundcheck at like six or something like that. Yeah, it was insane. And then you played a full show last night. And then that I hear was amazing. Yeah, you missed out on it. And then the next day you're here. I'm actually upset. I can tell. I thought we had like, you know, like some type of bond. Can I tell you the truth? Sure. I didn't know about it. That's the truth. See, now that's not my fault. That's my promote, that's my team's fault. No, I didn't know about it. And they probably invited me, but we're in this film. And they definitely invited me, but I'm in this film thing and I probably just didn't see it. And had I known, I would have gone. I don't know if I believe you, but um. Make you feel a bit better? It did make me feel better. Okay, I didn't know about it. Vanessa can vouch that I didn't know about it. I said to her, how was it? She said, I went to see him last night. And I said, oh, I didn't know he played last night. See, she's vouching for me over there. Okay. See? See, cause I know how fake these things can get. And I feel like you're a real person. I can't do the fake thing, man. I gotta tell you. Yeah, no, you're a real girl. I get it. I'm like, okay, that's how I come back. Cause I really, really despise being interviewed. I hate it. Why? Not from you though. Oh, thanks. Because it feels so performative. Although my life is very performative and I only allow a compressed version of my personality to be like presented to the world. But I don't know here. It's like, you're a good guy. Thanks. Can we listen to one of the songs on the record? Pick one. Late on me. What? That's what I said. That's what they said in like the sixties. I feel like I'm Benjamin Button here talking to you. Hold on. We're listening to it. Wait, leave this in the clip. Oh, 1000%. We're not getting rid of any of this. In seriousness, that's Disposed of Me by Omar Apollo. I love this song. I really love this song. I really thought it was beautiful. Thank you. But it's a devastating record. It's a sad record. Are you writing these songs while you're going through the breakup, while you're going through the sadness or do you need to sort of process it and then look back on it? This record in particular, the whole album was happening in real time, yeah. Which was like really fucked up. I was like, I guess when it comes to love, other people and their jobs, they can kind of compartmentalize and do their job and then like deal with their emotions later. But me, I'd have to go to work and like reflect and like really be introspective about my relationship and how I feel and my emotions and how they surface and what I'm actually going through as opposed to going and not having to think about it. How did you feel when you listened back to it in the car? I was like, damn, this shit's fire. Yeah? I was like, there's some bars in here. But like, as far as that, I mean, like, I don't know. I think people are like, oh, does music heal you or does it help you do this? I'm like, no, like not as a person who writes it. Maybe I might listen to a song that does it for me, but when it comes to me and my writing and me trying to, I guess, process things, probably makes it worse. Really? It doesn't help, it makes things worse? Yeah, I think the only thing that really works when you're going through like some, like that kind of heartbreak is like time. So why do you do it? Why do you write these songs? Because that's my job. Really? I love, first of all, I love making music. And I think it's important that like, there's like a time capsule of like a moment, you know? I think that's really important in an artist's career to just go back and be like, oh wow, this is like, you know, when he was really fucked up. And then now, like the next record, I'm like, now I feel amazing. I haven't felt this good in two years. What changed? I think I just, perspective. You know, I went through some terrible things personally with work, with everything. It was like in general. And then everything just kind of got better recently. Did you do something different? No, I didn't do ayahuasca or nothing. I'm just vibing. Oh yeah. I love this moment. Do we have that moment in Empty? There was a verse I loved in Empty I wanted to ask you about. Sure. We could play a little bit of it. Singing in another language so you don't understand me I don't want you to know how much it hurts me I don't want to see you I want to have you Every day I got two questions about this. So when I first heard that, I was like, oh, at first I don't speak Spanish. So I was like, I don't know. I don't know what that means. Yeah, that was the point. Well, that's that's so smart. The lyric is, I mean, do you want to do it? You can say it. Singing in another language so you don't understand me. Right. I don't want you to know how much it hurts me. I don't want to see you. I want to have you every day. That idea of singing in another language so you don't understand me is so smart. Do you remember when you came up with that? Yeah, I definitely was. I was with my parents a lot, so I like the Spanish was just like coming. Yeah, you speak Spanish around the home. Yeah, like they were they were in the studio. My dad was in the studio like 12 hour days. He'd wake me up in the morning. Be like, we're going to work. Like, which means like, let's go. Let's go to work. Let's go work. Because he loves watching me make music. And he would just sit there and then he'd throw me ideas. He actually helped me with the end of that verse. When I said todos los dias, he was like, you just say todos los dias. Like, you know, I was like, OK, there's a bit there's a clip of it. It's like on YouTube, but it's so funny. Some full circle to hear you talk about your folks being in the studio with you and like being so on board. I remember last time you and I were talking, you were sort of like talking about how you still had to sort of talk them into the idea of this being a good idea for you to be a professional musician. And, you know, yeah, I mean, things change when you start to make a lot of money. Yeah. Yeah. And then like people like also. Their their circles will, you know. We're coming up to them like, oh, my mom is doing so well. Like, oh, we're doing well. What? They're like Grammys. What's the what's the thing that my mom doesn't know about this movie, though? She doesn't know about the Luca movie. No, I didn't tell her. You know, I haven't seen it. I can't see it. I tried to see it. Oh, you did? I can't see it. And Tiff, they're playing it. Yeah, but I couldn't get I couldn't get an advance copy of it. Why not? Well, you can go to Tiff. No, it's all sold out. It's sold out. Yeah. Every screening sold out. I wouldn't be able to make something happen for you, Tom. I don't know because you didn't come to my show. Oh, fuck. All right. Get one for Vanessa. Whatever. At least I know about this one. What's the end of the record where your mom speaks to you? His mom is speaking in Spanish. I don't think that was outside of this castle in Versailles on top of the grass or underneath this tree. You were on vacation with your folks. Yeah. I brought them to Paris. I brought them to London. Had they been before? Had they? Never. I was living there for like a month. No, not a month. A whole summer. I was there for the whole summer writing the records. And then I was like, I want to bring them out, you know, like. And they were super down. My mom was in Portugal for some like Catholic walk. Yeah. Maybe around Fatima. Yeah. Yeah. She loves that. Yeah. That's her vibe. She came from there and then my dad came from Indiana, so they arrived separately and they hate not traveling together. But they made it. And then, yeah, I just was like, you know, we should go to Paris. You know, what do you want to do? Oh, let's go, you know, look at the castles or whatever. I think we watched a Marie Antoinette movie with Kirsten Dunst. And I was like, we should go there. Like, you know, she was like, I'm down. She didn't say I'm down. She was like, yes, let's go. Let's go. I want to go. So then so then we go and I write Plain Trees underneath this tree, too. That's the song with Mustafa on the record. Yeah. So I write the first verse of Plain Trees when I'm laying underneath the tree, when my mom is saying the story that happened at the end of Glow. She's telling me about how they used to make, I think it's tortillas or gorditas back in the day with her dad. And like she was just explaining how, like, they would have these giant leaves and they would cook with these leaves and then have like a wooden oven that my grandpa built, whose name is Apolonio, which is like Omar Apollo. It's what I'm named like after him. Oh, lovely. Yeah. So when I go to Mexico at the house, they have a huge sombrero that says Apolonio on it. And I'm just like, dang, I was like, I really made that name stick. Anyways, so then, yeah, so I had that video. I took a video of her speaking. Yeah. And my dad is also there and we're just laying in the grass. Yeah. And that audio clip is from the video. Honestly, why did you want to put that on the record? I feel that's meaningful to you to put that on the record. Yeah. You know, my brother called me one time when I was driving and he was like, you know, you left all of your siblings a gift. Like we're always going to, you know, when they pass and we get older and like, you know, he's starting to have kids. So he's thinking like, you know, he's thinking like a dad and he's thinking about grandma and grandpa and all these things. And he was like, you know, like we don't have them anymore. We're always going to have this. Like this is like immortalized. And he's like, I just want to say like it was a gift. And I'm really happy that you did that. And I was like, wow, you know, it's very profound of you to say. My brother is like amazing. That's beautiful. I look up to my older brother a lot. How much older? He's 30. So and you're? 27. Oh, just a little bit older, right? My brother is nine years older than me. My sister is 12 years older than me. My sister is 11 years older than me. We have so much in common. What's going on here? What are you trying to do? Not go to your show. What is the? Whoa! Come on. I'm only joking. Your mom must like the album title. Oh, yeah. She asked me. It was so funny. I said, she said, what's the album called? I said, God said no. She's like. She's like, why? She's like, do you believe in God? I was like, yes, of course I do. And yeah, I'm not religious, but I do believe in God. And I told her that I felt like. This whole. Thing that I wanted, I felt like it was for me that it was. Like fate, I was like, this is for me, like this is what I want. But your job or your relationship or my relationship? Oh, your past relationship. I was like, oh, forever. Yeah. You know? Yeah. And then I think that it was very quickly proven that God said no. It was like kind of covered. It came from a conversation in the studio. A bunch of my friends. Yeah. And one of them said, God said no. And I was like, wow, that kind of ate, especially like strong wording. So it looked cool. It looked like, you know, all these. And also like it makes a lot of sense to have a really religious background. Do you? I can hear Catholicism. Yeah. Yeah. Great wisdom in all the religions. I think you just take what resonates, leave what doesn't. But yeah, I mean, I went to church recently with my brother and my little nephews because I was in Indiana. Mass, like he went to the mass. Yeah. And then I just like was listening to the homily and I was just. I was like, what is this guy talking about? Yeah, like, yeah, he's just yapping. I'm like, yeah, what do you know? And then at breakfast, I like brought it up to everyone at the table. I was like, you know, I think what he said was like a little weird. I don't know. Did you take communion? No, absolutely not. Right. That's a very personal question, I think. But it sounds like with the God said no title, you said, hey, there's something appealing about this idea of maybe not so much free will. There being sort of a determining presence that's going to make some decisions. Yeah, I think there's an absolute energy that is going to decide things in your life. I don't know, or I don't know, free will is a crazy thought because I think I believe in it, but I also think it's an illusion, like a lot of things. So like, yeah, I mean, I have I could literally. I could just smoke like four packs of cigarettes a day, ruin my voice, not sing anymore, not make music again, but I don't want that. You're very funny and and fun to talk to you. And a very profoundly deep thinker. Thank you. I appreciate that. I think it's I think it's my biggest like like. It's like why I can't sleep at night. Yeah, but no, I appreciate it. It's good. It's good to think about those things. I think you are, too. Thank you. Thank you. And a deep feeler. That's what I hear on this record. That's why I love it. Sensitive. You know? Yeah. Even when they're like musically, it's great. But lyrically and emotionally, it's it's devastating. It's really it's really powerful. I want to ask you before you go about the the the my hot sauce. Oh, good. So, yeah, I do want to ask you about the hot sauce. I'm bringing it up. Look, you want to see it? I have hot sauce right here. I got a hot sauce coming out. My mom made it. It's going to be every Taco Bell in the nation. Don't play with me. You know what? But here's another example of eat it. It's the best hot sauce in the world. Here's a here's another example of you being funny and eat the hot sauce. Ha ha ha. And I think this is also deep thinking, because tell the story about if you want to about your mom opening that restaurant. Right. OK, so my parents crossed the border as immigrants do. And then they got a loan from the bank. I'm not going to say how you don't have to. I don't want to incriminate anybody. You don't have to. You don't. But I can get into it. I think they're fine now because they're citizens now. Like, but they had different names. They got a loan from the bank. I was born. I had two brothers and a sister. So they had three kids that they're watching over. And they had this restaurant that is this taco called the Super Taco. It got super popping. They didn't understand the infrastructure of a business interdependence, how it worked, all these things. So they were very popular, but they didn't know how to make money off of it. And then they are getting, you know, everyone's coming in and get the taco, eat the hot sauce. Well, boom, the hot sauce gets on the table. It's like super popping. They got like lines out the door. The door wasn't that big. Yeah. Then I was born. Well, I was pregnant. My mom was pregnant with me while she was working there, and then after she had me, she decided she was going to sell. She's like, I can't keep the restaurant anymore. They moved from Mexico. They wanted to have this dream. Yeah. And they wanted to, you know, do it differently than their parents. And they did. Just not in this way. And I always felt kind of guilty. I was like, you know what? Like, you know, I'm just going to make this hot sauce company. I was like, Mom, send me the recipe. We're going to make a hot sauce. We're going to put it out. And then, like, you're going to be like owning it. Like you're going to be part owner or whatever. And she was like, OK, yeah, no, she didn't care. She's just like, OK, here's how you make it. And then we got it made in like twenty twenty one. Then it was covid time and ivory happened. And then I didn't have time to kind of run the business. And then Taco Bell approached us. It was like Taco Bell. Yeah. Wow. They were like, we heard you have a hot sauce. We want to put it in every sauce packet in the nation. I was like, run that vibe. Omar, that's unbelievable that your mom had to shut down her business because she had you had to give up on that sort of dream. And now you are able to get that hot sauce she made that she had to shut down to a lot of different people. Yeah, totally. That's meaningful. Yeah. So it's all about her. That's for my mom. I do it. I do that for her. That's beautiful. I know we're not we don't have to stay in there. That's beautiful. We can go back to the Laffy Laff, but that's beautiful. No, no, it is really beautiful. And my dad, too, he's super excited. I mean, they they love cooking. It's like their their thing. And my dad, like, you know, is a was a cook for like my mom was a lunch lady. And then she worked at a hair salon. And my dad also worked at the school. So we'd see them at work all the time. I'd go up to him, hug him. And and everyone thought that that was supposed to be something you're embarrassed by. But I was like, I love my mom. I love my dad. And my mom would always bring me out the hottest plate of food in the lunch line. So, yeah, I've always they're they're always been taking care of me in that way. I feel like that's how you you really show your love is from like nourishing your child with like food. I feel like that's where like immigrant parents because emotionally I feel like they emotionally develop later. Yeah. And and the only way they know how to show their love is through the food on the table and just make sure you eat. Did you eat? Did you eat? Did you eat? Like that's like how they show their love. Now they've learned to use their words and it's like a lot different. And my mom is actually a great writer. I told her, I said, I don't need presents because she wants to. I don't know what to give to you. I don't know, like, you know, which, you know, these things or whatever. And I'm not around her as much. So she doesn't like know my new interests and all these things. I was like, I'd rather much rather receive a letter of like how you feel about. And then leading up to my birthday, she was it was insane, actually. She she was writing. She remembered each day before she had me like for the week, for like the seven days. Yeah. And and she gave me like a detailed description on everything that she was feeling on when I was in her stomach. Yeah. And then so it was just like a beautiful thing to receive. And I was just like, what a gift. Beautiful. But yeah, I love it. Reminds me of something someone told me one time that on your birthday, you should really thank your mom. Yeah. It's kind of her day, too. Yeah. You know what I mean? As much as it's your day, it's kind of more her day. I think birthdays aren't about the person. Yeah. I think it's about people celebrating the love they have for you. Before we go, I want to talk about the movie. So my my understanding in this movie Queer. Also, do you have any of the hot sauce? Can I try? I had it in Venice and they took it away from me at the airport. Can you send me some? I don't know, because because you have been just you didn't come to my show. I thought you cared about me. You cannot find another example of anything. You just keep on going back to that one. I do like that your style has improved. Thank you. I wore a hoodie last time. Yeah. And I did, too. I felt embarrassed about it. And then you came in wearing the hoodie and I was like, oh, I think I'm OK. Yeah. Yeah. Luca offers you the role. This is one of the biggest directors in the world. He offers you the role. It was insane. It was crazy. Had you acted? Are you an actor? No, never in my life. Who are you in the movie? I play like a. I don't know if I can like, I don't want to give it away. OK, never mind. But what's your reaction when he offers you the role? Well, I got it like an Instagram DM, not from him, but from like somebody like, hey, Lucas, trying to reach out to you. Then it led to like a Zoom call. He met me, wanted to speak, see the energy. He told me what the scene was. And I was like, word, I'm down with you. I'll do anything. I don't care. How did you prepare to act? How did you? I say I was really scared. Yeah. Yeah, because I had never done anything like that before. And this and then there's like nudity in the scene. So I was like, really like, oh, you know, I haven't even like made like a porno. It's like one of my boyfriends ever. So I was like, yeah, I'm like really like conservative in that way. And then that's not very good. Well, no, I'm just saying, like, I know a lot of my friends, like they definitely like make those type of videos with their like partners. Yeah, of course. Of course. But not me. I never have. I understand. So I was just like, I was like practicing. But in my head, I was I had to, you know, and it felt like really freeing, like I released something, you know, it felt so good. I was like to be able to be like, yeah, you know what? And I'm just like, this is acting and it's with Daniel Craig. And I'm like, this is so sick. And with my favorite director, like it's actually crazy. I was like, so down, instantly said yes. And then that's when I started to be like, oh, what did I say yes to? But I was so, so energized and like couldn't believe that, you know, that they were they wanted me to be a part of it, like, you know, a William Burroughs like story. Yeah. Queer. We're in a merge. Yeah. Yeah, and I don't know, I just I I have no words and we just came from the premiere and it was really emotional and it was like 13 minutes standing ovation. Yeah. Yeah. And I made sure it was longer. I was like I'd like when it started getting quieter, like everybody, I like 11 minutes. I was like, OK, all right, time for me to turn up. Don't do it. Yeah, yeah. I was like, yeah, we're going to make this long. And it was just amazing experience. Venice Film Festival was insane. Amazing people, amazing cast. I'm like really blessed to have been like a part of it. And I just like. Built great relationships with everybody, like they're just so cool. Everyone's funny. And I'm hilarious after like two glasses of whiskey. You're pretty, pretty funny now. No, I know. But like when I'm drinking, it's just a whole other level. It's just like unfiltered. Like I like there has to be specific people around. Like everyone knows not to pull out the camera. It's like you get some of those like pockets that you have to like, you know, pockets. All right. I got one more question for you. Make it good. I will not. You set that bar low because this is coming. This is a favorite number question right here coming up. How do you make sure that none of that stuff happens again? Like I think about someone like you. I think I was watching you from the outside. Like I said, I felt I felt a kinship with you last time you came on. And I was rooting for you at the Grammys and when I would see your name come up on something or I'd see you on Instagram, you know, and one of the stories. And I was just so happy for you. I was just so happy for you. Thank you. And I didn't know you were hurting. I didn't know you were suffering both spiritually and relationship wise and a bunch of other ways. Your life's not about to slow down. It's only about to get bigger. Yeah. No. How do you how do you look after yourself going forward? Honestly, I've hit my lowest and I've hit my highest. Everything. I'm cool. I'm not worried about it. I know what it's like to be loved, like I know what it's like to. Want to burst into tears every single moment of your life for a year. Like I know what that feels like and I know what it's like to feel have like amazing admiration, and I think that admiration and. Hate or internal warfares or whatever it is, or love or all those things. You know, I felt it. I've been there. And now I'm like so much better. And I've asked people like they're older, like, how do you deal with Harper? Like I'm just older. Yeah. Like this is, you know, you kind of just think that it wasn't my first like like heartbreak. I've like commodified my heartbreak since I was like 18 years old. But this was different. I mean, yeah, just it consumed me. It took over everything. Everything that I had to offer was was compressed and contained and like dormant. Even in conversation and the way that I was living, I was just trying to numb. I didn't want to feel anything at that time. I got into like ghosts so far into that. But. Yeah, now I would say I'm just in a way better state of mind, like I understand myself way more, I understand the world differently, have a different perspective on it, on people. And yeah, I think that the people in my life were all assigned to each other. And I feel like I don't have anyone that's like attached, that's like. You know. In a bad way, they took a draining way. I feel like we're all meant to be, you know, the relationships in my life are harmonious and. You know, I just want to amplify them and make them great. You know, you're not worried about it going forward. No, I wouldn't even want to live like that if if it was if I was living in a state of worry, it's like, what? You know, I just want to watch like, you know. Like I haven't seen the latest episode of House of Dragons, so I've got to check that out. That'll that'll cure what ails you. I'm just saying, like, yeah, it's like, let's just be present, you know. Thanks for coming in. Yeah. Is this done? Are we done? Yeah, I'm getting the I got a couple of these from the folks in the kitchen. A couple of these, you know. Yeah. Which is. Right. Thanks for coming. I love talking to you, really, honest to God, and I mean it. And I mean this. Don't lie. I mean, I hate lies. Sure. You're really funny and charming and fun. And this record is so profound. And like I said, there's an incredibly depth of thought and feeling. Name five songs. I will not.