A poster of National Treasure

Simply put, Nicholas Cage may be the most gifted actor of his generation. Now 39, Cage blazed on to the Hollywood screen with daring, sometimes off-kilter performances in Peggy Sue Got Married, Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and Vampire?s Kiss, in which the cockroach the actor ate on screen was allegedly real. Cage won the Best Actor Oscar in 1995 for Leaving Las Vegas and he has since mixed edgier independent fare such as Bringing Out the Dead and Adaptation with more mainstream films like The Rock, Con Air and Gone In Sixty Seconds, all three for film-maker Jerry Bruckheimer. The two reunite for Cage?s latest release, National Treasure, in which he plays a thoughtful history buff, Ben Gates, who has a penchant for treasure hunt.

Cage, in conversation...

Q. At this point in your career, are you still able to find the challenging roles you want?

A. Yeah, because I?ve always maintained that I see myself as a student. And so there?s always something to learn and be challenged by and hopefully grow from.

Q. National Treasure could have been a standard action movie. Did you immediately realise that it could be more than that?

A. Well, the very thing that made me nervous about it in a way, was the same thing that intrigued me, which is this idea of a man going in and stealing the Declaration Of Independence. I thought, you know, this doesn?t seem very plausible (laughs). And how can this actually be pulled off? I met [the director] Jon Turteltaub, and he said, well, but that?s what?s interesting. And Jerry Bruckheimer always brings in a great group of technical advisers who do the research and try to figure out how to make everything as plausible as possible within the context of the film. And, I got to do it in a tuxedo as well so that was interesting for me, too.

Q. A hero in a tuxedo. Did you think of James Bond?

A. Yes, that comes up whenever there?s a tuxedo involved. Also, Cary Grant comes to mind.

Q. What do you think about comparisons that are being made with Indiana Jones?

A. Well, it?s not a bad movie to be compared with. And when I saw National Treasure with an audience the other night, I saw people give themselves over to the fun of it all and just go along for the ride, which I was so happy about. So, yes, I think it does have a certain spirit that is reminiscent of Indiana Jones.

Q. Ben Gates is obsessed with this treasure. He has spent his whole adult life looking for it. Do you relate to that personality type?

A. (Laughs) Without going into too much detail, I have had my obsessions, yeah. Ben has obsessed about this treasure, that marvellous Templar treasure, and has in a way groomed himself to figure out exactly what he needs to do to find it, even in the face of great ridicule. As for me, I think I?ve been obsessed over the years with where I could go with acting or how I could challenge myself with acting, I?ve endlessly wanted to push a bit further.

Q. You have two great co-stars in Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha, both of them relative newcomers. How did you achieve the great chemistry you all seem to have?

A. Well, Justin and Diane both have a wild sense of humour. They?re both very mischievous and kind of off-the-wall in humor, as am I. So as you can imagine, we got along great and had a lot of laughs on the set as well as off. I mean, we?d go karaoke from time to time and sort of blow it out and just be completely ridiculous, which I think helped the playfulness amongst the three of us.

Q. And what do you sing when you go to a karaoke bar?

A. Personally, Rage Against The Machine, some AC/DC and the Sex Pistols (laughs).

Q. A lot of the humour in the movie looks very spontaneous. Did you improvise lines?

A. Well, I think it?s more in the rehearsal process. That?s when you try to discover the tone of the movie and with all of Jerry Bruckheimer?s movies, you sort of tinker things and tweak things on the way. To be honest, it can be very nerve-wracking but it can also be very electrifying and spontaneous.

Q. This is your fourth time working with Jerry Bruckheimer. What keeps you coming back?

A. He?s a terrific movie fan first of all. He loves going to the movies and he likes films that are very entertaining. But what?s unique about Jerry is that he really does look in interesting places for his actors, writers, and directors of photography, whatever.

Q: Any thoughts on turning 40?

A. Well, I always add a year to myself, so I?m prepared for the next birthday before it happens. (Laughs). But I?m feeling, well, I don?t want to say happy, ?cause that?s too fragile a word. But I?m definitely content. And I?m hopeful about the future, although I?m spending most of my time thinking about the present.

Q. So how do you see your career going in the next few years?

A. I love keeping myself guessing and keeping you guessing. I don't want to just do independent movies, and I don't just want to do adventure films either. I enjoy both. My memories of the most fun I ever had at the movies would be going to the Clint Eastwood movies, or Charles Bronson or the Bond films. And Bruce Lee. I always forget to mention him. He was a huge inspiration when I was a kid; in my mind, I WAS Bruce Lee.