Nicholas Cage reveals he 'could have died' while preparing for new role

Nicolas Cage says his latest movie role almost cost him his life.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the 61-year-old actor revealed that training for The Surfer, which premiered Friday, May 2, pushed him far outside his comfort zone.

“We had weather conditions and believe it or not, shark reports and things, all that s**t,” Cage said. “I have surfed, but every time I’ve attempted surfing, I’ve been pounded to smithereens.”

The National Treasure actor then recalled getting stuck in a riptide, barely able to keep his head above water.

“I’m climbing up the leash as I’m somersaulting, and I could have died. Now I have a young kid, I don’t know if I want to do it anymore,” he admitted.

In the psychological thriller, Cage plays a man returning to his Australian roots to reclaim his childhood beach house. While the character doesn't spend much time in the water, one major scene required Cage to face the waves head-on.

He even tried to channel his favourite surf movie, Big Wednesday, though the vision didn’t quite pan out. 

“I thought, gee, I really want to get that shot,” he said, describing a slow-motion board wipeout from the 1979 film. “But I didn’t have the time to get my skills to the point where we could do it.”