The Surfer star Nicolas Cage reveals why he kept a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ rat prop in his pocket for two weeks while shooting the 2025 thriller movie. The latest film from cinema’s most prolific wild man stars him as a father returning to his childhood beach in Australia with his son, attempting to reconnect with his past, but being hounded by violent, territorial locals. Reviews of The Surfer have thus far been positive, with ScreenRant giving the thriller 3 stars.

One Surfer scene getting particular attention sees Cage disgustingly stuffing a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ rat into a man’s mouth during a fight, and according to Cage, pulling off that particular improvised moment required him to carry a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ rat prop around in his pocket for two weeks, raising questions among cast and crew. Cage also reveals the classic film that served as unlikely inspiration for his ᴅᴇᴀᴅ rat improv, describing a scene from Billy Wilder’s Sabrina where Humphrey Bogart stuffs an olive in a man’s mouth and tells him to “eat it” (via Empire):

“I could not stop laughing at that moment. It was just the funniest thing I’d seen. So I had this idea… I held onto this damn prop rat for two weeks… The tail was dangling out of my pocket, and everyone was asking on set, What is Nick doing with the prop rat, why has he still got it?’ They thought it was nuts, but I had this whole thing worked out in my head: it was my homage to Sabrina, to shove the rat in his mouth and say, ‘Eat the rat!’”

Cage says audiences have reacted positively to his bit of gross, Bogart-inspired improvisation:

“I was really happy with the results. We went to Cannes with the film, and the response to that moment was terrific. And it all stems from Billy Wilder and Humphrey Bogart and an olive.”

What Cage’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Rat Improv Means For The Surfer

Cage’s Performance Has Been Hailed As One Of His Best

The trailer for The Surfer teases a tension-filled exercise in escalation, as Cage’s sentimental journey turns into a battle with a cult-like group of locals who don’t want him on their beach. Cage’s performance was already guaranteed to be wild, but he took things up a notch when he spent two weeks carrying a prop rat around in his pocket, just so he could deliver both a disgusting moment, and an homage to a classic film.

The Surfer’s positive reviews have highlighted Cage’s performance, which is being called one of the best of his career. The star’s detailing of his ᴅᴇᴀᴅ rat moment underlines how committed he was to this particular film, and to delivering a bonkers performance. He doesn’t reveal how his co-star reacted to having a prop shoved in his mouth, but whatever unpleasantness ensued, it was seemingly worth it, given the Cannes audience’s “terrific” response.

Our Take On Cage’s Bizarre Sabrina Homage

Cage Often Takes Inspiration From Unlikely Places

That Cage would watch an old romantic-comedy and be inspired to do something gross reveals the bizarre way his mind works, but that bizarreness is a big part of his offbeat appeal. Indeed, Cage has often drawn inspiration from unlikely places. In last year’s Longlegs, for instance, the actor was inspired by Fellini’s Juliet of the Spirits, and by his pet cobras. Famously, Cage drew on the German expressionist classic Metropolis for his operatic portrayal of Ronny. The psychedelic revenge thriller Mandy saw Cage channeling both Bruce Lee and Jason Voorhees, a strange combination if ever there was one.

It doesn’t really matter where Cage gets his crazy ideas from, as long as he keeps getting them. The Surfer is just the latest film to benefit from the actor’s oddball approach, and it seems that in this case, Cage’s efforts helped make the film a winner.

Source: Empire