Nicolas Cage was bored. He had starred in dozens of action films and big-budget summer blockbusters, but he felt like he was missing something. He wanted to do something different, something challenging, something artistic. He wanted to make a movie that would win him another Academy Award, like he did for his role as an alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) [¹][2].

He decided to call his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary director of The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now. He asked him if he had any projects that he could join. Coppola said he was working on a new film, a historical epic about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. He said he needed someone to play Napoleon’s nemesis, the Duke of Wellington.

Cage was intrigued. He had always admired Wellington, the British general who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He thought it would be a great opportunity to show his range as an actor and to work with his uncle. He agreed to take the part.

He flew to France, where the film was being shot. He met with Coppola and the rest of the cast, which included Tom Hardy as Napoleon, Cate Blanchett as Josephine, and Daniel Day-Lewis as Talleyrand. He was impressed by their talent and professionalism. He felt like he was part of something special.

He immersed himself in the role of Wellington. He read books and biographies about him. He studied his speeches and mannerisms. He learned how to ride a horse and wield a sword. He even grew a pair of sideburns to match Wellington’s distinctive facial hair.

He was ready for his first scene. It was the climactic confrontation between Wellington and Napoleon at Waterloo. He put on his red coat and black hat and mounted his horse. He looked across the field and saw Hardy in his blue uniform and bicorne hat. He felt a surge of adrenaline.

The cameras started rolling. Coppola shouted “Action!” Cage rode towards Hardy, shouting his famous line: “The nearest run thing you ever saw in your life!” Hardy responded with his own line: “You are a great general, but I am a greater one!”

They clashed swords in the middle of the field, surrounded by explosions and gunfire. They fought with intensity and skill, matching each other blow for blow. Cage felt like he was really there, in 1815, fighting for the fate of Europe.

He forgot that he was acting. He forgot that he was Nicolas Cage.

He was Wellington.