Q 1

PLAYBOY: After playing twins in Adaptation, were you disappointed to play only one con artist in your new Ridley Scott film, Matchstick Men?

Nicolas Cage: Absolutely not. Adaptation was the most difficult film I've done in terms of special effects. We'd decide which twin to shoot depending on which side of the bed I got up on that day.

Q 2

PLAYBOY: Neither you nor Scott is known for comedies. Did Matchstick Men feel like new territory?

Nicolas Cage: Gee, when I consider all those heavy dramas I've been in, like Raising Arizona, Moonstruck, Adaptation and Honeymoon in Vegas, I kind of understand how you can ask that question.

Q 3

PLAYBOY: Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder. Do you seek out films that have a Vegas theme?

Nicolas Cage: It's totally a fluke that I've made three or so movies that take place in Las Vegas. I don't know how that happened. Also, for a while, it seemed as if I was making movies that had the word moon in them--Racing With the Moon, Moonstruck. It's just one of those strange things. I'm sure there's another moon movie in my future, because things tend to happen in threes.

Q 4

PLAYBOY: You changed your famous last name when you started acting. What can a Cage do that a Coppola can't?

Nicolas Cage: Be a movie star.

Q 5

PLAYBOY: Do you get your uncle Francis Coppola's wines at a discount?

Nicolas Cage: For the holidays, Francis will send me a case of wine. That usually lasts awhile. It's a nice gift. My new favorite is my cousin Roman's wine called RC Reserve. It's a quality syrah and a good value. We went to Venice together and had the first tasting of his wine in Europe. It was great.