Nicolas Cage Says He Only Gambled Once, Won $20,000, and Immediately Donated His Prize To An Orphanage
Beloved Hollywood weirdo, Nicolas Cage says he doesn't always gamble -- but when he does, he wins big, $20,000 big to be exact, and immediately donates the entire sum of his prize to a local orphanage. In a new interview with '90s industrial metal icon (and alleged "frat-boy douchebag") Marilyn Manson for Interview Magazine, the Con Air star spilled about spooning, conversing with his cat-food eating pet crow, a fictitious 13-year-old boy who cannot stop screaming the word "cock," and of course, his life in Las Vegas.
When asked if he gambles while residing in Sin City during the interview aptly entitled "'Cock!': Nicolas Cage and Marilyn Manson in Conversation," he responded with a James Bond-esque tale of striking it big and sharing his earnings.
"The last time I gambled was about 30 years ago," Cage explained to his longtime friend. "I was in the Bahamas, and I walked into a casino and felt like I had my mojo with me, like nothing could go wrong. My game was roulette. I went in with $200, and I didn't miss a number, so much so that even the lady spinning the wheel said, 'Nothing sweeter than a repeater.'" Yet, instead of pushing his luck, he walked away, donating his winnings to charity. "In 20 minutes I turned $200 into $20,000, so I went and found an orphanage in the Bahamas, met all the kids and the headmistress, and said, 'This is for you.' I put the 20 grand in her hand, walked away, and never gambled again because if I did, it would ruin the power of that moment." I guess Cage is a better gambler than Jack, his Honeymoon In Vegas character, who lost $65,000 in a game of Vegas poker.
Don't Miss
Anyways, Manson, like many of us after that whirlwind tale, seemed surprised -- "I've never heard that story," he replied to Cage, who is set to star as Tiger King's Joe Exotic in an upcoming Amazon mini-series about the famed big-cat icon.
"It's true," Cage said. "And you can't live in Vegas if you're a gambler. I've seen it destroy people. Of all the addictions, I think it might be the worst."
Moral of the story? Aside from being an actor, comic book-heist victim, and occasional dabbler in voodoo magic, Nicolas Cage, the non-gambling philanthropist extraordinaire, we need and deserve, who can, despite popular misconception, turn down a role -- the roll of a dice. Good on you, Nic!
To keep up with the latest internet nonsense, follow Carly on Instagram @HuntressThompson_ and on Twitter @TennesAnyone.
