The Most Disturbing Things Movie Villain Stars Have Done For Their Roles

Despite his reputation, Nicolas Cage doesn’t indulge in method acting to the same extent as some of his peers. If anything, his approach to getting into character is far more interesting: He painted his face to channel the Spirit of Vengeance in the «Ghost Rider» sequel as a notable example, and it’s hilarious to behold the behind-the-scenes footage. However, the reason for his restrained manner nowadays could be tied to an event from earlier in his career.

In Robert Bierman’s 1988 horror comedy «Vampire’s Kiss,» Cage plays the part of Peter Loew — a literary agent who is bitten on the neck and believes he is now a vampire. He begins to display unusual behavior, including tucking into a cockroach for breakfast. Surprisingly, the script called for Loew to eat raw eggs, but Cage decided it would be more impactful for him to eat a creepy crawly instead.

In the film’s commentary (via Film School Rejects), Cage explained his decision. «I saw it as a business decision,» he said, «because when people see the cockroach go in my mouth it’s like the bus blowing up in ‘Speed,’ people really react, and it’s like worth $2 million in special effects and all I do is eat a bug. So it’s good business.» Cage didn’t crunch on a cockroach once but twice, as Bierman made him do a second take; however, the director utilized the footage from the first one for the movie.