Nicolas Cage’s latest role as a disturbed serial killer in the film “Longlegs” is deeply personal for the Oscar-winning actor. Cage recently revealed that his inspiration for the character came from his mother, Joy Vogelsang, who lived with schizophrenia and severe depression until her death in 2021.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cage shared a vivid childhood memory that influenced his portrayal. “My mom put on Noxzema cold cream,” he recounted. “I was 2 years old, and I opened the bathroom door to see what she was doing. For no reason, she turned her face really fast and stared at me after putting on the cold cream. The whiteness of the cold cream just really spooked me.”
Directed by Oz Perkins, “Longlegs” centers on a series of unsolved murders that resurface in the 1990s. FBI Agent Lee Harker, played by Maika Monroe, is tasked with capturing the elusive killer, whose ghostly white complexion haunts the nightmares of those who encounter him.
Cage explained that his character has a unique connection to the color white, a detail he discussed with Perkins. “He has a strange connection to the color white. I don’t really know what it is. He says it’s just a force he’s aware of. You don’t question it too much. He knows it when he sees it.”
The marketing for “Longlegs” has kept Cage’s appearance under wraps, but a recent clip showing Harker meeting Longlegs included audio of Monroe’s actual heart rate, which spiked upon seeing Cage in character. Cage sees his character as “a tragic entity … at the mercy of these voices that are talking to him,” drawing parallels to his mother’s mental health struggles. Vogelsang reportedly endured shock treatments and various institutionalizations during Cage’s youth.
Reflecting on his mother’s influence, Cage said, “I was coming at it from, what exactly was it that drove my mother insane? It was a deeply personal kind of performance for me because I grew up trying to cope with what she was going through. She would talk in terms that were kind of poetry.”
Despite his concerns about artificial intelligence and its potential to control actors’ likenesses, Cage’s performance in “Longlegs” has been met with acclaim. The film boasts a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and horror fans are eagerly embracing Cage’s haunting portrayal.
“Longlegs” is now playing in theaters nationwide, inviting audiences to experience the chilling tale inspired by Cage’s own life.
