Nicolas CageThe change to John Madden came with one major limitation, because the actor decided not to gain more than 25 pounds for the role.
The decision came after Cage considered the risks of taking the physical transformation any further. Instead, he found another way to achieve the bigger build of the legendary coach without putting his body through gaining extra weight.
Best known for his roles in “Leaving Las Vegas” and “National Treasure,” Nicolas Cage portrays the late NFL coach in the upcoming film “Madden.” The project examines the life and career of one of the most recognizable figures in football.
The eating habits behind Nicolas Cage’s physical transformation
When he became John Madden Cage had to make obvious changes to his appearance, and the actor took an unusually simple method to gain extra weight. Instead of relying on a complicated eating routine, he allowed himself to enjoy foods he would normally avoid while preparing for the role.
Speaking at the premiere of “Madden” in Los Angeles on Nov. 4, Cage revealed that he gained 25 pounds to portray the legendary NFL coach. “I enjoyed my pasta and sourdough bread, which I don’t usually do,” he said, explaining how he approached the physical change.
However, enjoying these foods did not mean that the actor abandoned his normal eating habits completely. Cage explained that his routine usually consisted of “Two Premier Protein shakes and one meal a day,” which was usually a Caesar salad.
So the opportunity to enjoy pasta and sourdough bread was a departure from his usual routine as he worked towards a larger Madden building.
Why 25 pounds was enough for the role
Although Cage was willing to gain weight for the character, he was not willing to take the transformation seriously. At 62, the actor recognized that putting on the full weight required to look like Madden might come with risks he didn’t want to take.
According to PEOPLE, he explained, “Look, I’m 62, so I’m not going to gain 60 pounds. That’s dangerous. But I added the other 30 with [prosthetics].” Instead of putting his body through that extra weight gain, Cage worked with prosthetics and makeup artist Adrien Morot to complete the transformation.
Morot had previously worked with Brendan Fraser on his physical transformation for “The Whale,” and Cage described the process used for “Madden” as a combination of real weight gain and prosthetics. “It was the same approach, a hybrid approach,” he said, adding, “That, for me, was the sweet spot.”
Christian Bale accepted Nicolas Cage’s commitment to the role
While Cage aimed to get into the character of John Madden, Christian Bale had a close look at that transformation from the very beginning. The actors shared a trailer while filming “Madden,” allowing Bale to see his cast gradually adopting the look and manner of the legendary coach.
Speaking to PEOPLE at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles on November 4, Bale recalled their unusual morning routine. “What I liked was that we shared a trailer, and we would walk into the trailer every morning in our undies and [get] ready, and sit and talk to him,” he said.
Bale said he enjoyed “watching him gradually disappear into John Madden” as they prepared for the day. In addition to seeing the physical changes, Bale was impressed with Cage’s respect for the character.
He praised how much his costar “loved and respected John Madden” and said he approached the role “well, really in a way that I really liked.” His comments provided another insight into the effort behind Cage’s transformation, while highlighting the bond the two actors developed during filming.
History has transformed the real career of the actor
Long before taking on John Madden, Cage had undergone a challenging physical transformation for another character. In a 1995 interview, the actor discussed the work he did to build a heavier body to portray Little Junior.
Speaking in the interview, Cage explained that his preparation included protein shakes, including a product he called Metarax, along with extensive weight lifting. He described focusing entirely on bodybuilding, with no aerobics or fat-burning exercises, as his goal was to keep gaining weight for the role.
Cage admitted that the look he would have achieved was not one he would normally choose for himself, but he understood why the character needed it.
“It’s not a look I intend to look like in person, but it was perfect for the character,” he explained. The interview offers an earlier example of Cage’s willingness to change his physical appearance when a role calls for it.
Nicolas Cage regretted that she took one of his previous changes too far
Cage’s willingness to push himself for a role hasn’t always led to experiences he wanted to repeat. Years before his transformation into “Madden”, the actor took an unusual approach to a scene in the 1988 film “Vampire’s Kiss”, where he asked a real cockroach to eat instead of following the original script.
In the film Cage was a literary critic who is convinced that he is turning into a vampire. According to Variety, the script originally called for him to swallow a raw egg, but the actor pushed for the cockroach because he believed the moment would elicit a stronger response from viewers.
Looking back on the decision in a conversation with Yahoo Entertainment, Cage made it clear that he had no plans to repeat the experience. “I won’t do that again,” he said. “I’m sorry I did it at all.”
The decision remained one of the most unusual moments of his career, even as Cage later recognized that eating insects could have nutritional benefits. However, his opinion showed that not every real choice made for a show was something he considered worthwhile afterwards.
Which of Nicolas Cage’s on-screen transformations surprised you the most?