Nicolas Cage has presumably developed a pretty thick skin when it comes to criticism of his performances. Although the actor undoubtedly has massive talent, he has certainly had his fair share of questionable roles in the past. But, one bit of criticism in particular sticks in Cage’s memory, when legendary actor Adam West made fun of his performance in the action movie Kick-Ass.
Cage, who is currently on the press tour for his upcoming comedy movie, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, in which he plays himself, has been in great form in interviews. It’s always fun to hear from the actor, who has such an endearing optimism and passion for his craft, and he’s always got a fascinating story up his sleeve.
During a recent AMA with Cage on Reddit, one fan asked if Adam West’s portrayal of Batman was the biggest influence on the Kick-Ass character, Big Daddy. The question clearly stirred some traumatic memories for Cage, as he recalls West’s light-hearted criticism of his performance and attempts at imitating the iconic actor’s heroic role.
“I would give it all to Adam West. I grew up watching him on the ’60s Batman show and he is where it begins and where it ends as Big Daddy,” Cage revealed. A lovely sentiment, and a great insight into his preparation for the role, but Adam West wasn’t sold.
“I met Adam West once and I said, ‘did you see I was channelling you?’ and he said ‘I saw you TRY to channel me,'” Cage added. They do say, never meet your heroes.
We are sure West was joking, of course. Both Cage and West seem like very nice fellas, and the fact that Cage based his whole performance on the latter was no doubt appreciated by West. Given the quality of Kick-Ass, and indeed Cage’s performance, it’s hard to imagine many people criticising it.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is released in cinemas on April 22, and stars Nicolas Cage as himself, along with The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal.