Nicolas Cage says he did all of those direct-to-video movies to pay off his debt, but he doesn't regret them
The actor defends taking on roles in films such as Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Ghost Rider

In Tom Gormican’s The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage plays a meta-version of himself who agrees to attend a billionaire’s birthday party to in order to catch up on his finances. Something Cage has in common with the exaggerated version of himself is taking on jobs he would not normally consider in order to pull himself out of debt.
Starting around 2014, Cage’s debt was heavily publicized as the actor teetered on bankruptcy. He had blown his $150 million on real estate, and owed the IRS $6.3 million in property taxes.
“I’ve got all these creditors and the IRS and I’m spending $20,000 a month trying to keep my mother out of a mental institution, and I can’t,” Cage says in a profile with GQ. “It was just all happening at once.”
In the interview, Cage opens up about overcoming his debt, and his time picking up roles in direct-to-video movies. He’s always been a fairly busy actor, racking up multiple roles a year on average since his career started in 1981. What changed was when they turned from major blockbusters to a mountain of VOD productions. Cage starred in 46 films in a time frame where most successful actors complete around 10. However, the actor defends his decision to pick up all of these films.