Self-Proclaimed "Goth" Nicolas Cage Has a Pet Crow

He calls the bird Hoogan, while his feathered friend calls him "Ass"

BY Megan LaPierrePublished Jan 26, 2022

Acclaimed massive talent-haver, theft of the Declaration of Independence and apparent Edgar Allen Poe enthusiast Nicolas Cage is living up to his surname by keeping a crow as a pet.

In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, the prolific actor revealed that he keeps the bird, who goes by Hoogan, in a geodesic dome inside his Las Vegas home — more of an autumn-winter vacation house than a place to spend the summer, we suppose.

Fun fact: crows can mimic the sound of human speech patterns the way parrots are known for, and it sounds like Hoogan has quite a bold personality. According to the actor, the bird has taken to calling him names.

"It's comical," Cage told the publication. "At least, it is to me." He claims that when he leaves the room and says goodbye to Hoogan, the crow responds by calling him "Ass." Seems like they might need to do some work on his attachment style.

"Crows are very intelligent. And I like their appearance; the Edgar Allan Poe aspect," the actor continued, explaining his immersion into the subculture's aesthetic beyond the dark roles he's portrayed onscreen (and confusing ravens for crows, but close enough).

Cage added: "I like the goth element. I am a goth."

He must have just been too goth for the Godfather: Part III, since his uncle refused to cast him.

It remains unclear how well Hoogan gets along with Cage's two cats Merlin and Teegra, but we do know that their dad doesn't seem to jive as well with equines: the actor recently revealed that a horse named Rain Main tried to kill him on the set of Butcher's Crossing.

Having also had a four-legged co-star in last year's PIG, he's an animal lover to his core — even beneath that textbook gothic exterior.

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