Nicolas Cage remembers a moment on the Face/Off set when the film’s identity-switching premise became difficult to shake. While shooting a prison sequence, he says he began questioning whether the situation around him was real.
The Oscar winner, 62, recalled the experience during his Spotlight panel at New York Comic Con on October 10th, looking back on the character work behind the movie.
Released in 1997, the thriller paired Cage with John Travolta under director John Woo. Joan Allen and Margaret Cho also appeared in the film, which required its two leading men to take on each other’s characters.
Cage and Travolta won Best On-Screen Duo at the 1998 MTV Movie Awards for their performances.
Cage Recalls Questioning His Identity During the Prison Sequence
Cage begins Face/Off as Castor Troy, a terrorist pursued by Travolta’s FBI agent Sean Archer. To uncover information about a hidden bomb, Archer undergoes surgery to assume the unconscious Troy’s appearance and infiltrate a prison.
The plan unravels when Troy awakens and takes Archer’s face. For much of the film, Cage is therefore playing Archer pretending to be Troy, while other characters believe they are dealing with the criminal.
According to PEOPLE, Cage remembered repeating that he was Castor Troy while performing the scene.
“I got lost. And if you look at the movie, you can see it,” he said. He recalled asking himself, “Who am I? Is this real? Am I in trouble? Am I in prison?” before adding, “And I really lost it.”
He also offered reassurance about how his approach has changed: “Thankfully, that doesn’t happen to me anymore.” As Entertainment Weekly reported, Cage credited the control he has developed through further work on his craft.
John Woo Wanted Cage to Keep His Back Straight
Cage shared a separate memory of Woo’s direction on set. When the actor was concentrating on his character and searching for the energy a scene required, he sometimes slouched.
Woo would respond with a practical instruction: “Back straight. Keep your back straight.” Cage recalled apologizing to the director.
Cage Still Admires the Film as Its Sequel Remains Uncertain
Cage revisited Face/Off while preparing to play a fictionalized version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Speaking to Insider at that movie’s 2022 SXSW premiere, he said the earlier thriller had “aged beautifully” and praised Woo and Travolta’s work.
A follow-up has been in development for several years. Adam Wingard was attached to direct and worked on the screenplay with Simon Barrett, but Wingard subsequently left the project.
In May 2026, Cage told Variety he did not know whether the sequel would happen. He recalled having an enjoyable lunch with Wingard and said they shared interests.
Wingard gave more detail in a September 2nd interview with The Playlist. He said his version had come close to moving forward before creative differences became an obstacle. His other commitments also contributed to his decision to step away.
He had met with both Cage and Travolta during development and said he hoped the project would continue. No release date has been confirmed.
Cage Says He Refused an AI Waiver for ‘Spider-Noir’
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The Comic Con conversation also turned to changes facing performers today. Cage said he was trying to understand how actors could remain relevant while technology and the ways audiences consume entertainment were changing so quickly.
Artificial intelligence was a particular concern. He said he had not signed a waiver allowing AI use involving his work on Amazon’s Spider-Noir, in which he portrayed a version of the Marvel character.
He told the panel he would “probably not” work with the studio again, according to UPI.
He expressed interest in working with younger directors, including filmmakers developing projects through YouTube. Cage said he wanted to collaborate with people making their work independently, “from scratch and by hand.”