Nicolas Cage can be one of the cleverest actors you will ever see or hear about, yet he always looks for inspiration for his roles. One time, Cage flashed back to seeing movies from action stars like Clint Eastwood to get some help.
Well, Cage came up with an incredible one-liner for his movie Con Air. Fans got it when they heard it at the theaters. Cage recently sat down with Vanity Fair, sharing backstories about several memorable scenes from his movies. Cage told IGN told the outlet that he created the iconic “Put the bunny back in the box” line for ’90s action classic Con Air because he wanted his own Eastwood-esque catchphrase.
“I wrote that line, ‘Put the bunny back in the box,’” Cage revealed, reflecting on Con Air to IGN. “You see these adventure films with these big stars, like Clint Eastwood, ‘Make my day’, and I thought, ‘How can I take that tradition, make the ‘Make my day’ so ridiculous? What can I come up with that will become my ‘Make my day’?’
Nicolas Cage Knows About The Power of Bunnies
“Bunnies are kind of funny,” he added. “I’m bringing a bunny to my daughter — that was another idea I put in. And that’s why I had the bunny because I wanted to say that line, ‘Put the bunny back in the box.’ It’s absurdity at its finest, but again, if you sell it with [laughs] genuine emotion and real determination, like this is the most serious thing in the world — and it is because he has to give it to his daughter who he hasn’t seen in six years. It’s serious, he means it, but it’s ridiculous, and that’s what I love about it.”
Eastwood is one actor who can take some dialogue and add his personal touch to it.
Think about Eastwood’s roles. He can take one line and bring it to life. From The “Man with No Name” to “Dirty Harry,” taking those roles allowed Eastwood to establish his big-screen identity. Eastwood has a steel-eyed look to himself in nearly every role he plays. Of course, films can bring this to life even more.
Cage can only hope to have the same kind of luck Eastwood has had.
Now, some people might be wondering if the end is near for Cage’s movie career. He has appeared in some hits and some misses.
But he’s not afraid to try new roles. Cage went off for Raising Arizona, Moonstruck, Honeymoon in Vegas, and Leaving Las Vegas. Cage might have been trying to find that one elusive line in these movies, too. Sometimes, it’s the strength of the role which roles he will take. Cage’s wonderful interactions make a movie much better.
Maybe it’s from the respect Cage has for actors like Eastwood Elwood he will continue to seek out Eastwood-like roles.
These days, Eastwood is very selective in what movie projects he undertakes.