Actor Nicolas Cage sat down for an interview with The New York Times Magazine on Wednesday that was about as bonkers as one could hope for, with a conversation about that time he accidentally purchased a stolen dinosaur skull leading into his description of what he describes as his โgrail quest.โ
โI started following mythology, and I was finding properties that aligned with that,โ Cage said. โIt was almost like National Treasure. โฆ For me it was all about where was the grail? Was it here? Was it there? Is it at Glastonbury?โ
The actor hadnโt realized he was setting out on such a mission, but various clues and details he uncovered inspired him to continue those threads in hopes of discovery.
โOne thing would lead to another,โ Cage continued. โItโs like when you build a library. You read a book, and in it thereโs a reference to another book, and then you buy that book, and then you attach the references. For me it was all about where was the grail? Was it here? Was it there? Is it at Glastonbury? Does it exist?โ

He added, โIf you go to Glastonbury and go to the Chalice Well, thereโs a spring that does taste like blood. I guess itโs really because thereโs a lot of iron in the water. But legend had it that in that place was a grail chalice, or two cruets rather, one of blood and one of sweat. But that led to there being talk that people had come to Rhode Island, and they were looking for something as well.โ
โBut yes, this had put me on a search around different areas, mostly in England, but also some places in the States,โ Cage said. โWhat I ultimately found is: What is the Grail but Earth itself?โ
Other than searching for the Holy Grail, what does Nicolas Cage do in his spare time? Well, after a video of the National Treasure star screeching Princeโs โPurple Rainโ into the mic at a karaoke bar hit the tabloids earlier this year, he will not be hitting the town anymore.

โYou go to a karaoke bar with a male friend in the neighborhood, the bar says โno videotapingโ and suddenly, thereโs two different videos of you doing karaoke,โ he said โWho did that? Who exposed the videotape? Who sold it?โ
The 55-year-old star explained that his viral performance was โmore like a primal-scream therapyโ session that he didnโt want to become a viral moment, since it was right around the anniversary of Princeโs death.
โIt was a holiday weekend, and I didnโt want to go anywhere, but my friend who was with me said, โYou canโt sit here in your apartment. Youโve got to go out.โ So I went to the one place in my neighborhood that I knew had no video recording, just to have some fun, and that became everybodyโs business.โ
Cage said that nowadays he preferred to stay out of the spotlight and focus on his acting career.
โAt this point in my life โฆ I heavily prefer to not go out. Iโd rather just stay at home,โ he said. โI donโt think I can decompress ever again, even at a karaoke bar. Itโs too vulnerable. Iโm not trying to complain. Itโs a fact of life that I have to accept. Iโd much rather let my work and not my personal life speak for me.โ

Check out the amazing full interview at The New York Times Magazine.