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Nicolas Cage Press Conference:

How are you like Benjamin Gates?
“One of the things that comes to mind is ancestors. In a lot of so-called primitive cultures, there is a tremendous respect for our ancestors that we don’t see as much, for whatever the reason, in modern American culture. With Ben, I wanted to make it clear that, probably because his grandfather, Christopher Plummer, knighted him at such an early age, he took it to heart and really believes in a chivalrous way that everything he is is on account of his ancestors.

They’re not dead to him. They’re still there with him and he’s honoring them, and I like that about him. I try to embrace that in my own life. And, also, history. Because of playing Ben Gates, I really appreciate history now. I also enjoy being in places where I feel the weight of past events. I like old architecture and old buildings, and if you use a little imagination, you can time travel.”

Can you relate to Ben's connection to his ancestors, as far as your acting career?
“Well, I do relate to that. I think so. I feel that it began with Carmine Coppola. We didn't come from money. He came here because he could play the flute and he joined Toscanini no less, Toscanini's orchestra and was the first chair flautist. The most beautiful thing that happened, just as a side track to that, but about two years ago I was sleeping. The TV was on, it was the arts channel, I didn't know and I heard this flute and I woke up. It was my grandfather playing the flute and it was the Dance of the Blessed Spirits.

I'm getting chills thinking about it. It was like he was talking to me. It was amazing. He was the beginning of our history in the arts and then he married a Pennino, my grandmother's family, who was writing songs and she was a composer. Then from there, it just kept going. Francis and Sofia and Talia and everybody.”

How as working with Helen Mirren and Ed Harris?
“Helen Mirren is someone that I have really admired ever since I saw her in Excalibur. That was the first thing I said to her. ‘I loved you as Morgana Le Fay.’ One of my most powerful crushes was Helen Mirren as Morgana Le Fay. She's really down to earth. I have to tip my had to her that she would win the Oscar in The Queen and then go and, in the grand spirit of Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn, go make an adventure film. To me, that shows a lot of spirit and a great zest for life. And that she's willing to do that, jump around and wear the wire and all that, I love her for that. And she's funny. Within two minutes, she puts you at ease. She doesn't take herself too seriously and she makes you relaxed. You have a lot of great laughs together. I would love to work with her on every movie.

Ed Harris I had the pleasure of working with on The Rock, but we didn't have too many scenes together. He's one of those actors that's brutally real on film. You can't help but be blown away by his talent because of that. You look at his performance as Pollack or any number of his performances, the one he just did recently with David Cronenberg, he's always got this gravitas and this weight to him that is compelling. So when they said he was in the movie in the grand spirit of Jerry, he always casts the best actors, I knew we had the possibility of making something very, very exciting.”

What was the most challenging scene in this movie?
“Well, the most challenging sequence hands down was the platform, the balancing platform sequence, because it was a mathematical, physical conundrum to act. I had to try to keep in my head what happens in terms of leverage and physics if you step here and he goes up there or she goes down there. It just was a mess. It actually had to be reshot once or twice to get it to make sense for all of us. So that would be the sequence that comes to mind as the most challenging.”

Is the writer's strike affecting your work schedule?
“I don't have any definite immediate work plans at this moment that I would be able to speak with certainty about, so I'm wide open as far as that goes until I'm ready to go public with something. In terms of the writing strike, I'm not a patented writer or in the guild. If I had something that I was involved with, it wouldn't really affect me being that I'm not a writer.”

But production is being stalled.
“Well, it's made everything upside down in Hollywood. To answer your question, yeah. It's difficult because some movies can't get off the ground because they need to be tweaked, but I haven't had that experience yet personally.”

So the Pang Brothers film is done?
“Yeah, the Pang Brothers film is finished but it's looking for a release. I like that movie but I don't think it's the sort of movie that's necessarily comfortable for studios, or even American audiences for that matter. It's an edgy film. It deals with an interracial relationship and it has difficult subject matter. But the Pang Brothers, I think, are gifted. The people that I consider my friends whose opinions I trust that I've shown the picture to think it's one of the best things I've done since The Weather Man, so they really like it. But who knows what's going to happen with that movie.”

What's it called?
“It's called Bangkok Dangerous. It's the weirdest movie I've ever made and I like that.”