Nicolas Cage has claimed that acclaimed directors Christopher Nolan, Woody Allen, and Paul Thomas Anderson ceased offering him roles after he declined parts in their films. The actor made the remarks during an appearance on the New York Times podcast The Interview, noting that David O Russell was the only filmmaker to approach him again following a rejection.
"David O Russell offered me a movie a million years ago," Cage said. "It was a good movie, and he offered it and I said no, and he's the only director that I ever said no to who actually came back and offered me another movie."
Cage stars in Russell's forthcoming biographical sports drama Madden, portraying the late football coach and broadcaster John Madden. The film chronicles Madden's tenure with the Oakland Raiders, his subsequent broadcasting success, and his pivotal role in the creation of the Madden NFL video game franchise. The cast includes Christian Bale as Raiders owner Al Davis, John Mulaney as Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, Kathryn Hahn as Virginia Madden, and Sienna Miller as Carol Davis.
"Most of them, they get their feelings hurt and don't call you back. It's happened a million times to me," Cage explained. "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."
Regarding Nolan, Cage revealed that the director offered him a role in the 2002 psychological thriller Insomnia, though he did not specify which character he was considered for. The film, a remake of Erik Skjoldbjærg's 1997 Norwegian thriller, stars Al Pacino as homicide detective Will Dormer and Martin Donovan as his partner Hap Eckhart. The pair travel to the Alaskan town of Nightmute to investigate the murder of a 17-year-old girl, with Robin Williams co-starring as crime novelist Walter Finch.
As for Anderson, Cage described the opportunity as "a very early movie." He added, "He'd shown me a short film with Philip Baker Hall, and we were going to do something and it didn't work out."
Cage noted that his decision to work on Madden was heavily influenced by Russell's willingness to approach him again after the initial rejection. "David did call me, and it showed a lot of class that he would call me back and invite me again," Cage said. "And I didn't want to say no to him again because I have great respect for his talent. And it was a beautiful experience. I enjoyed working with David. I enjoyed working with Christian, John Mulaney. But it was a big challenge."
In addition to Madden, Cage is set to star in Spider-Noir, Prime Video's live-action adaptation of Marvel's Spider-Man Noir comics. The series features Cage as an ageing private investigator and superhero in 1930s New York, reprising a version of the character he voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The cast includes Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, and Abraham Popoola, with the series expected to premiere in 2026.
Madden is scheduled for release on Prime Video on 26 November 2026.
