In July of 2005 my kids, Monica and Stephanie, went to New Orleans to attend a wedding. (This was pre-Katrina.) Monica had spent a summer in New Orleans at Tu Lane University and knew the town well. She was looking forward to visiting and showing her sister some of the sights!
So they decided to go on a two-hour architectural walking tour in the historical Garden District that included the famous Lafayette cemetery. This was taken that day....
As the group of ten gathered, my daughters were stunned to see Nicolas Cage had joined them! There was no mistaking it, everyone knew who he was. (Well, almost everyone. One guy on a passing tour bus pointed and shouted, "Look, it's Bruce Willis!") But everyone played it cool, no one hounded him for autographs or photographs. It turned out that he had purchased a home recently in New Orleans and told the group he was there to learn more about the town.
Of course we were excited to hear about Monica and Stephanie's encounter with Nicolas Cage. What was he like? What did he say? How did he act?
Well... they said he was odd, eccentric, and very overdressed for a steamy summer day in Louisiana! He was wearing a "Chopper" tank top, an odd black trench coat, boots and black cowboy hat. What a strange outfit. His body was lean, his features hard, concentrated and his eyes penetrating. They described his behavior as very intense, very focused and somewhat distant. He was full of questions once they went to the cemetery, asking questions that were not the usual... many of which had nothing to do with the architecture. At some times, he was more quiet, standing arms crossed, legs apart, coat flaring. Nicolas Cage remained aloof, to himself, seeing things and lost in thoughts of his own that had nothing to do with the group. At the end of the tour, he suddenly "disappeared", stole an opportunity to sneak away.
Below, the shadowy figure in black on the far right is Nicolas Cage. It was the only photo they could get with him in it.
Monica and Steff described their encounter, and we found it all fascinating and entertaining ... and never gave it another thought until last night.
Stephanie was in town and we went to see a movie. They showed a preview for "Ghost Rider", Nicolas Cage's most recent film. Steff nudged me and whispered... "He was researching and rehearsing his role that time in New Orleans! He was totally that character when we saw him, down to the trench coat, hat and biker tank top, things he said and the way he behaved! Monica and I are totally convinced."
It turns out that in "Ghost Rider" his character has key scenes in a cemetery, much like the one in New Orleans! For some reason, I found all of this incredibly interesting!
What do I know about the methods actors use to develop a character for a role? Not much! But it makes complete sense! "Ghost Rider" was filmed in 2005. The time line fits, and so does everything else. He'd practiced his part in a similar cemetery setting, with real people and worked through aspects of his role. The stance, the body language, the look, the demeanor.
Nicolas Cage is a very talented performer, but I always thought he just had a knack for acting. If this little glimpse is any indication, I now know it takes much more than a "knack". Those two hours on that little tour provide a deeper insight into the level of commitment he gives in preparation for a role. It will make me appreciate him even more in the future when I see him on the big screen.
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