Nicolas Cage says abstinence, sobriety, 7:30 bedtime spark creativity as he focuses on new fatherhood

Nicolas Cage is not the outwardly eccentric audiences might expect.

Though he plays a creepy serial killer in his latest movie, the horror-thriller "Longlegs," Cage lately has been an early-to-bed-early-to-rise type.

Cage told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) he gets up "anywhere from 2 to 5 a.m., and it oscillates quite a bit. "The first thing I do is see to my daughter. After I know she’s comfortable and back to sleep, I get on the elliptical and do about five miles, then maybe some weights."

As for his bedtime, he says he and wife Riko Shibata "start winding down around 7:30 p.m., so I’m usually knocked out at 8."

Nicolas Cage told the Wall Street Journal he and his wife are usually in bed by 7:30 p.m., and he's up as early as 2 a.m. (Amy Sussman/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

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The Oscar-winner, who lives full-time in Las Vegas, said he uses it to help spark some of his famous creativity by abstaining from the stereotypical pleasures of Sin City.

"But to me, if you really want to spiritually ascend, put yourself in the middle of Sin City and say no," he told the outlet. "Say no to that whiskey on the rocks, say no to that strip club, say no to that casino. Just be completely dry with everything. I mean everything: intimacy, everything. See what that’s like."

Cage was born Nicolas Kim Coppola in Long Beach, California, part of the famous filmmaking family, a nephew to Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire, and cousin to director Sofia Coppola and actor Jason Schwartzman.

He changed his last name to Cage to avoid the appearance of nepotism and made his film debut in 1982 with a small role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Cage changed his last name from Coppola before his career took off to avoid claims of nepotism. (Bob D'Amico /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)

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After landing his first lead role in "Valley Girl" and appearing in his uncle’s films "Rumble Fish" and "Peggy Sue Got Married," among other roles, Cage appeared in two of his most popular films, "Raising Arizona" and "Moonstruck."

"Moonstruck" showcased Cage’s willingness to go big in a role, creating a memorable character that earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a musical or comedy.

In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Cage spoke about some of his over-the-top performances, saying that though he tries to switch it up, "for some reason the explosive, more operatic crescendos in the performances have made people think that’s who I am."

He continued, "… acting has gone through phases of what is considered great. And it’s been around for a long time. Somewhere along the way, we got obsessed with the 1970s naturalism style of film performance, which is good. Look at Robert De Niro in ‘Taxi Driver’ or Jon Voight in ‘Midnight Cowboy,’ it’s great. But that’s not all acting can be. It can go even further back to the Billy Wilder movies and the kind of repartee that these actors had, like Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney. That’s something I’m curious to bring back.

"Moonstruck" proved to be a breakout role for Cage with an over-the-top performance as Cher's younger lover. (Sunset Boulevard)

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"To me, it’s all different styles. And why not try a little bit of everything? Why get stuck?"

In 2019, Cage spoke with the New York Times about the acting style he developed, which he called "nouveau shamanic" and "Western Kabuki."

"Western Kabuki to me was, let’s go all the way out. Nouveau shamanic is nothing other than trying to augment your imagination to get to the performance without feeling like you’re faking it," he explained.

He continued, "You either have the proclivity to open up your imagination or you don’t. If you have that propensity and are on camera about to do a scene, what would make you believe in what you’re about to do?"

Cage has showcased his range throughout his career, from his Oscar-winning performance as a dying alcoholic in "Leaving Las Vegas," to an action lead in films like "Con Air," "Face/Off" and "The Rock."

Cage has had a varied career, including roles in action films like "The Rock" with Sean Connery. (Buena Vista/Getty Images)

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He earned a second Oscar nomination for his dual role as writer Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin, Donald, in "Adaptation" alongside Meryl Streep, before he switched things up again with the "National Treasure" films.

In recent years, he’s dabbled in more horror, like 2018’s "Mandy" and "Color Out of Space," as well as earning more rave reviews for his performance in the indie drama "Pig."

Reflecting on his eclectic resume in the WSJ, Cage explained, "In the beginning, I was trying to make a big noise and be punk rock."

"With David Lynch, I was trying to do what Andy Warhol did by taking a giant icon – in this case, Elvis – and try to do that with film performance," he said, referring to their film, "Wild at Heart," in which he played a character who did Elvis Presley impersonations. "I wanted to just break out of a 1970s naturalism that everyone became obsessed with."

Cage is shown in a scene from "Wild at Heart," a role in which he tried to break out of a naturalistic style of acting. (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

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He continued, "Now I’m getting to a place of quietude and gentleness, like a haiku. So, where do I go from here? I don’t know. Do I try television? I’ve never done that. That’s scary. Do I try Broadway?"

Cage also revealed advice he’d received from the patriarch of another famous Hollywood family, Martin Sheen. 

"‘Did you like where you were? And did you like the people you were working with?’" Cage told the WSJ of Sheen's advice.

Cage recalled, "He said that to me so long ago, it was before Charlie [Sheen] and I really hit it off, and I was over visiting the house. We were working with Chris Penn on ‘Rumble Fish.’ The three of us were watching ‘Deliverance,’ believe it or not, and then Martin walked into the room. He went, ‘Oh, that’s a horrible scene.’ The scene with Ned Beatty, the famous scene.

Cage was friends with Charlie Sheen early in his career, and he listened to important advice from Sheen's father, fellow actor Martin Sheen. (Getty Images)

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"Martin said, ‘If you’re going to do this, if you’re going to get in this business, all that matters is: Did you like where you were, and did you like the people you were working with?’"

As a young man, Cage questioned it, but he said, "I wasn’t going to argue with him, but in my head, I was like, ‘That’s not what matters, what matters is the movie grade, the work grade.’ But as I’ve thought about it on this path; Martin Sheen was right."

In December 2023, the now-60-year-old said he was considering retiring after his lengthy career.

"I feel that I’ve, at this point, after 45 years of doing this, that in over 100 movies, I feel I’ve pretty much said what I’ve had to say with cinema. And I’d like to leave on a high note and say adios," Cage told Uproxx.

The Oscar-winner said last December that he was considering retiring after a few more roles, wanting to leave on a "high note." (SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)

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"I think I have to do maybe three or four more movies before I can get there and then hopefully switch formats and go into some other way of expressing my acting."

"I would’ve liked to have left on a high note, like ‘Dream Scenario.’ But I have other contracts that I have to fulfill, so we’ll see what happens," he continued. "I am going to be very severe and very astringent on the selection process moving forward. But for me to do another movie, I do want to explore other formats."

Those other formats include television, something he already has on his plate with the "Spider-Noir" series on Amazon Prime, based on his popular "Into the Spider-Verse" character, a 1930s detective take on Spider-man.

But Cage clarified with the New Yorker that he’s not done with film entirely.

Cage said he's not going to be retiring too soon and has several projects still in the works. (Rich Fury)

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Regarding his timetable, he said, "Well, I did two or three very supporting roles. So, maybe three or four more lead roles, maybe that’s more of what I was saying."

Cage considers his current role in "Longlegs" supporting due to his more limited screen time.

"It would have been a slippery slope. I think it could have lapsed into something almost too ridiculous," he said of seeing the eerie character on screen more. "You don’t want to see that the shark is made of rubber, you know? You want the shark to be terrifying and keep it under the water for a lot of it."

Regardless of whether he continues with his acting career, the role of father is quickly eclipsing film and television.

Cage said being a third-time father is incredible, saying, "I can’t stop being a dad. With her, it’s life. It’s my survival." (Amy Sussman/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

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Cage welcomed daughter August Francesca Coppola in 2022 with wife Riko Shibata. He is also father to two sons, Weston Cage Coppola with ex Christina Fulton and Kal-El Coppola with third wife Alice Kim.

When asked if being an actor or father is more fun, Cage said, "Oh, it’s completely different."

"Being a dad, to me, it’s not an art form, it’s – how do I put this? – it’s like breathing," he continued. "Everything is about her. You know, I can make a movie or not make a movie. I can’t stop being a dad. With her, it’s life. It’s my survival."

"Longlegs" is in theaters now.