Nicolas Cage devotees can only hope his starring turns in 2007's Ghost Rider and 2012's Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance will land him a spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe one day, but the actor has now shared that he very nearly became a ghost rider for real while shooting forthcoming Western Butcher's Crossing.
During The Hollywood Reporter's annual Actor Roundtable (January 5), Cage and Jonathan Majors traded stories of working with animals on movie sets past. Majors' reflection on riding a steed named Cinco for The Harder They Fall led Cage to reveal how he was convinced that a horse named Rain Man wanted to end his life while at work on the Gabe Polsky-directed film.
"At least you had a nice horse. My horse on Butcher's Crossing, named Rain Man, wanted to kill me," Cage told Majors, recalling, "Rain Man kept trying to knock me off and would try to run my head into roofs, and then I'd get off and try to be nice to him, and he would headbutt me. It was not fun. I've always had good experiences with animals. I always had great experiences with horses, but Rain Man wanted to kill me."
"I'm so glad I got through that movie alive," Cage continued, remembering how he told director Polsky for the final shot of the film, "'Gabe, I'm not getting on a horse again.' Then one of the Native Americans said, 'Oh, Nic's just going to get off the horse. We'll get on…' 'OK, fine. I'll do it.' So I got on the horse and literally, again, he kept trying to throw me off. I was like, 'That's it. That was my last shot, and you had to make it almost like a stunt. You did make it a stunt. You almost killed me on my last shot in the movie.' As you can tell, I've got post-traumatic stress disorder from Rain Man."
Majors would then surprise the roundtable discussion — which also featured Andrew Garfield, Simon Rex and Peter Dinklage — with a riding revelation of his own:
CAGE: I haven't let go of it.
MAJORS: Rain Man is in Montana with, I think, a man named Scotty.
CAGE: Do you know Rain Man?
MAJORS: I know Rain Man. I've ridden Rain Man.
GARFIELD: Whoa. Whoa.
CAGE: You've ridden Rain Man? So was he nice to you? Was Rain Man nice to you?
MAJORS: I think he may have been a little older when I got him.
CAGE: I just wrapped three weeks ago.
GARFIELD: Isn't it like horses can feel energy?
CAGE: No, I'm good with animals. I mean, seriously, it was a clear decision on Rain Man's part that he wanted to kill me. And they wouldn't give me another horse. And then we were being chased by a herd of bison, and I'm on Rain Man, and I'm not sure he's going to get me out of here. I don't know. I'll stop talking.
GARFIELD: Please don't. Please keep talking about Rain Man.
Butcher's Crossing began shooting in Montana last October, and has yet to receive a release date. Before saddling up in that film, Cage will play fictionalized versions of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
During The Hollywood Reporter's annual Actor Roundtable (January 5), Cage and Jonathan Majors traded stories of working with animals on movie sets past. Majors' reflection on riding a steed named Cinco for The Harder They Fall led Cage to reveal how he was convinced that a horse named Rain Man wanted to end his life while at work on the Gabe Polsky-directed film.
"At least you had a nice horse. My horse on Butcher's Crossing, named Rain Man, wanted to kill me," Cage told Majors, recalling, "Rain Man kept trying to knock me off and would try to run my head into roofs, and then I'd get off and try to be nice to him, and he would headbutt me. It was not fun. I've always had good experiences with animals. I always had great experiences with horses, but Rain Man wanted to kill me."
"I'm so glad I got through that movie alive," Cage continued, remembering how he told director Polsky for the final shot of the film, "'Gabe, I'm not getting on a horse again.' Then one of the Native Americans said, 'Oh, Nic's just going to get off the horse. We'll get on…' 'OK, fine. I'll do it.' So I got on the horse and literally, again, he kept trying to throw me off. I was like, 'That's it. That was my last shot, and you had to make it almost like a stunt. You did make it a stunt. You almost killed me on my last shot in the movie.' As you can tell, I've got post-traumatic stress disorder from Rain Man."
Majors would then surprise the roundtable discussion — which also featured Andrew Garfield, Simon Rex and Peter Dinklage — with a riding revelation of his own:
CAGE: I haven't let go of it.
MAJORS: Rain Man is in Montana with, I think, a man named Scotty.
CAGE: Do you know Rain Man?
MAJORS: I know Rain Man. I've ridden Rain Man.
GARFIELD: Whoa. Whoa.
CAGE: You've ridden Rain Man? So was he nice to you? Was Rain Man nice to you?
MAJORS: I think he may have been a little older when I got him.
CAGE: I just wrapped three weeks ago.
GARFIELD: Isn't it like horses can feel energy?
CAGE: No, I'm good with animals. I mean, seriously, it was a clear decision on Rain Man's part that he wanted to kill me. And they wouldn't give me another horse. And then we were being chased by a herd of bison, and I'm on Rain Man, and I'm not sure he's going to get me out of here. I don't know. I'll stop talking.
GARFIELD: Please don't. Please keep talking about Rain Man.
Butcher's Crossing began shooting in Montana last October, and has yet to receive a release date. Before saddling up in that film, Cage will play fictionalized versions of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
