Nicolas Cage fan favorites extend all the way back to his earliest films, but while celebrating the upcoming release of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage insisted that he’s only delivered some of his very best work in recent years.

Cage headlines Massive Talent as a fictionalized version of himself. His career has stalled and he’s buried in debt, so when his manager offers him an opportunity to earn $1 million by attending a superfan’s birthday party in Mallorca, he reluctantly takes it. Despite the sour attitude, upon arriving, Nic sparks a meaningful connection with his host, Javi (Pedro Pascal). However, just as he’s certain he’s found a kindred spirit, Nic is contacted by the CIA. Turns out, Javi is a criminal and the CIA wants Nic’s help investigating him.

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With The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent due out in theaters on April 22nd, I got the chance to have a quick chat with Cage about his experience making the film. After discussing his influence on the project as a producer, and his insistence on giving the movie more Tom Gormican flavor, we took a step back to address his entire body of work.

RELATED: L.A. Readers: Win Free Tickets to Our Screening of 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' with Filmmaker Q&A

Cage’s filmography is packed with bold, daring, and highly unique roles. When someone shows off that much range and such a willingness to go big and take risks, one’s got to wonder, does anything scare Nicolas Cage? Has he ever been offered a role but had to pass because he didn’t think he could do it? Here’s what he said:

“This was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done in my entire body of work. I think I’ve done some of the best work in the last 10 years of my entire life and I put Massive Talent in that period, which has been, in some ways, marginalized by certain folks in the media. But I think I’ll put Pig and Massive Talent and Mandy and Color Out Of Space and Bad Lieutenant and Joe and The Trust and The Runner up against anything I did in the first 30 years. But in all that time, in the 43 years I’ve been doing it, Massive Talent is hands down the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

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Image via Lionsgate

Eager to hear even more from Cage on The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent? You can catch our full chat in the video at the top of this article!