Nicolas Cage Reveals The Very Sweet Reason He Turned Down Lord Of The Rings And The Matrix

Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage famously turned down roles in The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix, and now the Hollywood veteran has shed a little more light on why. Speaking to People, Cage said he actively chose to prioritize his family over his career, and traveling around the world to New Zealand to make The Lord of the Rings or Australia for The Matrix wasn't something he wanted to do.

"There's no version of Nic Cage that didn't put family first over career. I turned down Lord of the Rings and I turned down Matrix because I didn't want to go to New Zealand for three years or Australia for three years because I needed to be home with my son Weston, that's a fact."

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies famously filmed in New Zealand back-to-back, with cast members living in the island nation for years and even coming back for re-shoots. That is all to say, it was a lengthy, involved process in a genre--fantasy--that wasn't as popular as it is today. Cage was reportedly eyed for the starring role of Aragorn, a part that ultimately went to Viggo Mortensen after the production company fired Stuart Townsend just days into filming.

As for The Matrix, the film was shot in Sydney, which is halfway around the world. While it wasn't a three-year shoot like The Lord of the Rings, just getting to Australia is a lengthy, involved process, and Cage likely would have stayed in the country for some time for prep and filming combined.

Cage was going to play the lead role, Neo, in The Matrix. Will Smith also turned down the part, with Keanu Reeves ultimately landing the role that he is best known for.

Cage's next movie is The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, a meta movie in which he plays himself. The movie arrives in theatres on April 22.