Nicolas Cage reveals why he turned down Lord of the Rings and Matrix roles
Imagine, if you will, a world where Nicolas Cage would have played Aragorn or Neo. This could very well have been our reality if the actor hadn’t set his priorities firmly in order. He’s one of Hollywood’s most recognizable leading men… and the face of some of the most memorable memes on the internet.
But most of all, Cage is a father and a family man.
“First of all… there really isn’t a version of Nic Cage that doesn’t want to spend time with his kids,” Cage said People.
“There isn’t a version of Nic Cage that hasn’t put family ahead of career. I turned down Lord of the Rings and I turned down Matrix because I didn’t want to go to New Zealand for three years or Australia for three years because I had to be home with my son Weston, that’s a fact.”