Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage in 1989. They were so hot! Credit: Gary Lewis/Bauergriffinonline
The National Enquirer has a story this week that could possibly be made up, but given Johnny Depp’s reputation as an all-around nice, generous guy I want to think it’s true. Nicolas Cage, who is now over six million in debt to the US government, is almost solely responsible for helping Johnny Depp get his start in show business. Johnny credits Cage with his phenomenal career because Cage is the person who first encouraged him to get into acting. The two were buddies in LA in early 80s, and Cage told Depp, then a musician, that he should give acting a try. The rest is history. According to the Enquirer, Depp heard about Cage’s money problems and gave him a call telling him he would help him out.
When bighearted Johnny, 46, learned of Nic’s troubles, he offered to give him “whatever he needs” to take care of his cash-flow woes, said a friend of Johnny’s.
“Johnny called Nic and basically told him, ‘Look, don’t worry. I’ll help you. You just let me know, all right?'” revealed the friend.
Nic, 4, was touched by the generous offer, but he has so far refused it.
“Johnny has always felt he owes a great debt to Nic, and now he’s ready to repay it – if Nic wants him to,” the source countinued.
Johnny was a down-on-his-luck guitar player with a rock ‘n roll band in the early ’80s when his first wife, a makeup artist, introduced him to Nic. Over a game of Monopoly, Nic suggested the struggling musician try acting.
Johnny later recalled in an interview: “I met (Nic’s) agent, and she sent me to read for a movie (“Nightmare on Elm street”) and they hired me.”…
“Johnny has never forgotten what Nic did for him,” added the source.
[From The National Enquirer, print edition, November 23, 2009]
Cage could probably really use the help. Most of his luxury properties around the world are being auctioned off to pay his debts. TMZ reported yesterday that two of his homes in New Orleans are now up for auction.
In contrast to Cage’s lavish lifestyle, Johnny Depp lives a relatively low-key life with his longterm partner, Vanessa Paradis, and two children in the south of France. Depp has his share of high-end purchases, though. He owns a 45 acre island in the Bahamas and has wine-making facilities on his French estate. He can afford it. Depp made $72 million in 2007 alone.
I actually do believe this story. Cage and Depp are buddies. Depp is also known for being generous to family, friends and charities on the down low.
This makes me love Johnny even more, as if that were possible!
I love me some Johnny! I hope this is true and I also hope that Nic Cage continues to refuse. this is his own stupid mess.
If this is true, and even if not, Johnny Depp will remain the embodiment of COOOLNESS AND GENEROSITY. This only adds up to his portfolio of HOTNESS!!!!
Nic Cage has come to central Florida to visit John Travolta, and people here who have met him described him as very genuine. (He keeps a wine locker at a steakhouse alongside John’s). Maybe his crazy spending years (gothic mansions, castles–the stuff Patricia Arquette couldn’t stand) are over and his humbler side is out there now?
Whoa, get a load of those mom jeans!
Guh…Johnny is such a pretty pretty man! Is this from his 21 Jumpstreet days? *Le Sigh*
A little trivia here: Years ago when I was in NYC. My gf and I were having dinner at a restaurant called Guignol’s. Nick Cage, his gf at the time, and a male friend were at teh table next to us. All night Cage would flirt with my gf and I when his gf would leave the table. He even sent us drinks and asked where we were heading afterward. We were real bitches to him, I guess because we thought he was scum for being so flirty with us when he was clearly with a gf.
Anyway, we were interested in our hot waiter and the several pro tennis players who were dining at teh same restaurant that night, so Cage was the least hot of the people around. At the end of their dinner, when the bill came, do you know that Cage sat there and divided up the bill 3 WAYS! They all kicked in money! We were shocked. I think the woman he was dating was the model who he had a child with later on, so it wasn’t like they were just 3 pals out eating.
Would have been nice if Cage had been so thrifty later on in his life. This was in the early 1990’s, so Cage was an established actor at the time.
Funny how people suddenly believe in National Enquirer stories. But only when it’s a positive one.
I’d like to think Johnny Depp is a great guy and very generous with his friends. People have said that for years.
But Cage needs to learn a lesson here. You only need ONE island in the Bahamas, not TWO. Maybe he should suffer for his spending and learn how the rest of us live. It’s the best thing Depp can do for him.
Johnny’s mama raised him right.
@Charity- I am actually basing my belief off of what I have read elsewhere about the two being close friends, as well as Depp being generous. I have little or no faith in anything the rags print, and am suspect of even stuff I read these days in People Magazine.
Anyway, is it not better to believe in the positive stories, rather then the negative. I would like to think that there are people out there like Depp, that would offer to help a friend in need.
National Enquirer does occasionally get it right, positive or negative story.
Ah Johnny, my love for you only increases, you greasy-haired hottie.
Nic, not so much.
lol @ “you only need one island”! I’d settle of a mortgage free beach shack!
Now if Depp could do a reversal sort of favor and convince Cage to quit acting…
They made a mistake with Nic Cage’s age – they have it as him being “4” Lol.
I believe JD is the type that would help him out like that.
I wonder if NC’s wife will stick around now that the money and castles are gone?
Totally plausible story. Johnny seems the type to offer that.
However, even if he has offered, I kind of feel like Charity is Chic – Nic needs to learn his lesson. HE is the one who over spent and wasted money on very frivolous things. HE is the one who now needs to deal with it.
Let’s not forget either, the guy is still a steadily working movie star. He hasn’t lost a job, hasn’t had to stand in an unemployment line. He still has the ability to make millions a year. Time to get his head together and live within his means.
That is why I LOVE Johnny Depp!
How do the mags find out these things? I’m sure Depp didn’t put out such a private story at a friends expense. And why would Cage tell anybody if he were have $ problems? He’s got his Nat’l Treasure franchise and last yr that castle was for sale for multiple millions. If he can’t pay his expenses and provide for his family, then he needs to grow up. The rest of us would be overjoyed to have an extra $100,000 for our luxuries in one lifetime.
This story is made up. How could the Enquirer possibly know about this? If Depp did call Cage, nobody would know unless the telephone was tapped, and that’s illegal!! Who the heck told a tabloid that Johnny Depp is offering help to Nic Cage? Nobody, that’s who. At the weekly “let’s make up stories” meeting, someone mentioned that Depp and Cage are old friends. Then a story was made up to match that. Rubbish!! Totally made up.
If Johnny Depp did want to help Nic Cage, I doubt it would be by giving him cash money. Cage has to learn how to handle money first, otherwise, in a couple of years he would be back in the same spot. No, after all his homes are auctioned off, Nicky is going to file bankrupty, set up a payment plan with the IRS and move on with his life. Hopefully, he will hire someone to teach him how to handle his money . . . and actually listen to what they way.
Not a big deal! His wife can always start to wait tables again.
I remember reading somewhere that Johnny used to steal money from Nic’s dresser drawer and supposedly Nic kicked Johnny out when he found out. If that story is true then maybe Johnny really does feel he owes Nic.
ugh@Firestarter…
The story about Cage getting Depp into the acting scene and out of the rock band he was in is true. I was in that rockband at that time. It was called the Rock City Angels and Depp even has a song on our debut album (Geffen 1988).
A few months after JD left to start 21 Jumpstreet we signed a 6.5 mill deal with Geffen. Depp actually thought he had nade a mistake leaving and he woudl often fly back to LA to play shows with us … yes Nic Cage was usually there as well.
The guy I know from that era would gladly help return a favor to Cage. he did it for several of his x bandmates a few years into his acting career when they were down and out on drugs … he got them into rehab.
Yes occasionally the Enquirer does get it right !
RJ
What is it with everyone saying that johnny needs to get Cage to stop acting ? I love nicolas cage, and he is a very talented actor. Okay, true, he does need to pay his own debts, but trash talking him isn’t really fair. We don’t personally know these people, and i’m sure that both Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage are decent people. Yes, I love Johnny too, he’s like super sexy, and okay Nic is just there, but he’s a cool person and a great actor who i think deserves a little bit more respect than that.