Washington [US], May 4: Hollywood star Nicolas Cage recently revealed a frightening brush with death while training for his new film The Surfer, now showing in theatres. The actor recounted getting caught in a rip tide and nearly encountering a shark during a surf lesson, an experience he described as a stark wake-up call.
In an interview with Variety, Cage admitted that although he had prior surfing experience, the training for the film proved far more intense than expected. “I was pounded to smithereens,” he said, describing the powerful waves that overwhelmed him.
One particularly harrowing moment came when Cage found himself trapped in a rip current. “I’m climbing up the leash as I’m somersaulting, and I could have died,” he recalled. The terrifying ordeal has led the actor to reconsider his adventurous pursuits, especially as a father to a young child. “Now I have a young kid, I don’t know if I want to do it anymore,” Cage added.
Despite the scare, Cage hasn’t completely given up on surfing. Lightening the mood, he joked that his ultimate dream is to “retire, surf, drink red wine, and eat spaghetti.”
The Surfer delves into psychological drama, following Cage’s character — a businessman who returns to his Australian hometown with plans to reclaim his childhood home, only to face mysterious opposition. The film explores themes of obsession, trauma, and identity.