Actor Nicolas Cage has been open about his fortune over the years. He blew millions on many houses (including a castle), pets, and a rare comic book.
The Hollywood star, who recently turned 60, had millions in the bank, which isn’t surprising when you look at the list of films he has starred in. But Nicolas wasn’t great with his money and ended up doing films just to keep himself afloat and his bank full. However, the celebrity has said despite his taking roles for this reason, it didn’t mean he didn’t care about the work he was doing. He admitted: “I care every time.” Let’s take a look at some of the weird and wacky things the movie actor has spent his dollars on.
He bought a ‘haunted’ mansion
For a short period, the Kick-Ass star owned a haunted estate in New Orleans, known as the LaLaurie Mansion. The large home was owned by Delphine LaLaurie and her husband in the 1800s. They owned slaves, and she was said to have instigated about her mistreatment of them. Then, in 1834, a fire broke out at the home and people gathered to watch the horror inferno.
Decades later, a murder took place after the plot was converted into apartments. The police took it as a murder-robbery – despite the man’s friend recalling him having trouble with ‘sprites’ and nothing of value ever being taken.
It is said moans can be heard in the room in which the enslaved people were kept, as well as phantom footsteps. Others who have stood outside claim to have felt a ‘negative energy’ overtake them.
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Nicolas Cage used his fortune to buy the house for $3.4 million in 2006 but sold it three years later for $2.3 million.
The house is now a tourist attraction.
Nicolas and his pet octopus weren’t great friends
Another outlandish purchase made by the Hollywood actor was a pet octopus he named Cool. Despite not having his big fortune in the mid-80s as he was an up-and-coming star, he spent $150,000 on the animal and housed his eight tentacled friend across two aquariums. He claimed the octopus helped him “become a better actor.”
We wonder if the celebrity got along better with his other pets, as he and Cool apparently didn’t have a great relationship. The actor is said to have tried to coax the octopus out to show visitors. But the animal, seemingly not appreciating the disturbance, squirted ink onto his hand.
He joked in an interview with the LA Times: “What a pity. Just when we were beginning to get along.”
He also owned a talking crow, a two-headed snake, and two King Cobras, among others.
Actor says fortune troubles were a ‘dark’ time
Nicolas Cage told CBS’ 60 Minutes he “over-invested” in real estate with his fortune, but said he never went bankrupt.
He said: “I was over-invested in real estate. It wasn’t because I spent $80 on an octopus. The real estate market crashed, and I couldn’t get out in time. I paid them all back, but it was about $6 million. I never filed for bankruptcy.”
The film and TV actor continued by saying acting and his job was his “guardian angel”. Even if a film is “crummy” he would have put his all in during production.
“No doubt, work. Work was always my guardian angel. It may not have been blue chip, but it was still work. Even if the movie ultimately is crummy, they know I’m not phoning it in, that I care every time.
“But there are those folks that are probably thinking that the only good acting that I can do is the acting that I chose to do by design, which was more operatic and, you know, larger than life and so-called ‘Cage rage,’ and all that. But you’re not gonna get that every time.”
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