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‘Really Spooked Me': Nicolas Cage Reveals He Took Inspiration From THIS Childhood Memory For Longlegs Role
Nicolas Cage reveals how childhood memories of his mother inspired his spine-chilling performance in the horror thriller film, Longlegs.
Nicolas Cage impressed the audiences and the critics alike once again as he delivered a spine-chilling performance in the recently released film, Longlegs. The 2024 American horror thriller film, written and directed by Osgood Perkins, allowed Cage to flesh out his acting acumen as he aptly justified his character of Longlegs.
Talking about the secret behind his stunning delivery in the film, Cage revealed that his childhood memories, especially the ones associated with his mother, played a crucial role in serving as an inspiration to portray his character.
Nicolas Cage shares his spooked childhood memory of his mother
In his conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Cage discussed his character, Longlegs, as he revealed the strange affinity of his character with the white color. Elaborating on his statement, Cage shared the vivid childhood memory of his mother, Joy Vogelsang, who struck the Ghost Rider star with fear at night with her face covered in white Noxzema cold cream.
Cage stated, "My mom put on Noxzema cold cream. I was 2 years old, and I opened the bathroom door [to see] what she was doing. For no reason, she turned her face really fast and stared at me after [putting on] the cold cream. The whiteness of the cold cream just really spooked me."
The superstar added how on-sets he would get covered in white prosthetics, commenting on Longlegs’ unexplained fondness for white color. The actor noted that the white color in particular is somewhat of a force that his character is conscious about.
Further talking about his terrifying performance on-screen in Longlegs, the Kick-Ass star shared that he was naturally able to portray the character because of his time with his late mother, who long struggled with schizophrenia and severe depression. "I was coming at it from, what exactly was it that drove my mother insane? It was a deeply personal kind of performance for me because I grew up trying to cope with what she was going through,” Cage revealed.
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Nicolas Cage confirmed that his character, Longlegs, is androgynous
Later in his conversation, Cage acknowledged that his character, Longlegs, is “neither male nor female”. The actor even related his character with the hermaphrodite character in the 1965 movie, Juliet and the Spirits. The superstar then reflected upon his preparation to justify the character of Longlegs and shared that he commenced the preparation for this role on the 2022 Christmas by memorizing and feeling his dialogues.
The actor then rehearsed his lines on the phone and even gave time to find rhythms and melodies suiting Longlegs’ character so that he could aptly personify the fictional serial killer character. “I kept going over it and over it… By the time I got on set, it was so dialed in and became almost like performing a song or a bit of music," he added.
Cage’s insights into taking inspiration and preparing for the role of Longlegs surely reflect his dedication to his work. The actor surely managed to deliver the character with a perfect amount of spookiness and eccentricness. Longlegs was released on July 12, 2024, and is available to watch in theaters.
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