Nicolas Cage was turned down for a part in The Godfather 3 by his uncle Francis Ford Coppola

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It wasn't meant to be

Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
(Image credit: Lionsgate)

Nicolas Cage has revealed that he asked for a role in The Godfather 3, but was turned down by his uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola.

Cage was recently interviewed as part of The Hollywood Reporter's actor roundtable, which also featured Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Majors, Peter Dinklage, and Simon Rex. When asked to name a movie they'd love to make but didn't think anyone would let them, Cage took a trip down memory lane.

"This is a very embarrassing answer to your question, OK, because it involves family," he said. "So Uncle was doing Godfather 3, and I said, 'I really think I ought to be in your movie, Uncle. I really think it’s a good idea if you would cast me. I think I could play this part.' He was going to cast Andy Garcia, and I said, 'But I just see myself more as James Caan’s son, and he’s playing Sonny’s son. He’s not playing Michael’s son. He’s Sonny’s son. I just feel a little more James Caan.' It just wasn’t going to happen. Nope, not going to happen. So that was a movie I didn’t get let in that I really wanted to be in. There."

Cage can next be seen playing a fictionalized version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which hits the big screen on April 22. He's also set to play Dracula in Renfield, an upcoming modern retelling of the classic vampire tale focusing on the Count's henchman. 

Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.