Numerous intriguing tales of possibilities litter the pages of Hollywood history. One such intriguing piece of history was recently made public by Nicolas Cage, who said he was being considered for a role opposite Jim Carrey in the smash comedy “Dumb & Dumber.”
Cage made the major disclosure while meeting with GQ and answering questions from online followers. Gary Oldman and Nicolas Cage were purportedly the initial performers considered for the roles of Harry and Lloyd, according to an online rumour. In his reply, Cage said that this was, in some manner, just partially true. Although Cage expressed amazement at the Oldman rumour, he did remark the following:
Although Jim [Carrey] wanted me to join him in “Dumb & Dumber,” I preferred to work on the short film “Leaving Las Vegas.”
That is a fairly interesting fact, so, yeah. Without a doubt, the course of Cage’s career would have been much different had Cage replaced Jeff Daniels in one of the biggest comedies of the 1990s.
Everything panned out
When “Dumb & Dumber” from MGM was released in 1994, film immediately became a huge smash, grossing $246 million worldwide. Carrey’s status as a major star was cemented, and Daniels gained significant clout in the entertainment industry. Given that we are all familiar with the movie as it is now, it is incredibly impossible to envisage it in any other way. The relationship between Carrey and Daniels is a key component of the film’s success. Cage probably would have significantly altered that.
On the other hand, Cage decided to work on “Leaving Las Vegas,” which came out in 1995. Although it wasn’t as successful financially, it is nevertheless one of his best-reviewed films to date and helped him win the Best Actor Oscar. His career would have taken a very different turn if Cage had been able to be persuaded by Carrey. When everything was taken into account, it seemed like everything turned out for the best for everyone.
In the 1990s, Cage went on to have a successful acting career, appearing in numerous action movies like “Face/Off” and “Con Air.” Even though a significant portion of that time was spent making direct-to-video movies to pay off debt, the man has maintained an extremely hectic schedule. Despite the fact that not all of those films were successful, Cage insists that he never cheated.
He has recently seen something of a professional revival, garnering some of the best reviews of his career for films like “Mandy” and “Pig” from last year. In addition, he is now filming “Renfield,” in which he will portray Dracula, and has “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” coming out this year. If he co-stars with Carrey in a hugely successful comedy, perhaps none of this will occur. The one that seems to be most appropriate for Cage is this one.
