Nicolas Cage Revs His Engines

Few actors in Hollywood are as versatile as Nicolas Cage. He plays comedy, drama, and avant garde with equal skill. In his latest movie, Gone in 60 Seconds, he plays a retired car thief who is lured back into the business when his kid brother gets into trouble. The challenge: To steal 50 cars in one night.

Early Show Contributor Laurie Hibberd asked him if, 10 years ago, he ever would have expected to be one of the most bankable action film stars in Hollywood.

"It wasn't the way my career originally started," Cage replied with a laugh. "I was doing some more avant garde sort of films, like Raising Arizona and Vampire's Kiss and Wild at Heart. And nobody at that time could visualize me in (the action) genre as much as I had wanted to do it., because I was a big fan of action movies when I was a kid. So, for me, it's always been this sort of dream, in a way."

What has changed in 10 years? Is he a better actor?

"If anything, I think I'm more seasoned now," he says. "Then, I was like raw energy. I was emotional. I was electric, but I was all over the place. I couldn't focus, and now I feel like I can focus."

The list of Nicolas Cage films is as diverse as any bio in Hollywood. He established himself early on as a serious actor in films like Birdy and Moonstruck . He won a Best Actor Oscar for his role as a self-destructive drunk in 1995's Leaving Las Vegas.

But Cage is also well known for action blockbusters like Face/Off and The Rock.

In Gone in 60 Seconds, he plays a man who is supposed to be the best car thief in the world.

"I've never stolen a car. In fact, I've had a couple of cars stolen," says the actor.

But he did do many of his own stunts in the movie, including most of the driving.

For a famous actor, Cage does a good job of avoiding the spotlight in his private life.

"I've been sort of lucky in that way," he says. "I do sort of fly below the radar somehow, and I'm happy about it, because it's allowed me to stay somewhat within the confines of reality. "