November 10, 2026, 12:42 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Body transformation at 62: Hollywood star Nicolas Cage celebrated his new look on the red carpet at the premiere of “Madden.” To portray the legendary American football coach and commentator John Madden (†85), he embodied a character far outside his personal comfort zone. In an interview with “People” magazine, he spoke about the health risks involved.
“I Enjoyed My Pasta and Sourdough Bread, Which I Normally Don’t Do”
Oscar winner Nicolas Cage plays the role of football legend John Madden (†85) in “Madden” (available from November 18 on Amazon Prime Video), one of the most well-known figures in the American NFL. For the role of the NFL coach, he gained about 25 pounds. To achieve this, Cage consumed larger quantities of foods he usually avoids, he told the U.S. magazine. “I just enjoyed my pasta and sourdough bread, which I normally don’t do.”
Cage Deviated Greatly from His Dietary Routine
Cage gained weight primarily through carbohydrates. The timeframe for this is unknown. This diet is roughly the opposite of what the action star usually consumes: “Two Premier Protein shakes and one meal a day. That’s mostly a Caesar salad.” The 62-year-old himself describes this as “pretty brutal.”
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“That’s Dangerous”
To realistically depict the stature of football legend John Madden through his own body mass, the actor would have had to gain 60 pounds. However, Cage found this too risky, as he explains. “Look, I’m 62, so I’m not going to gain 60 pounds. That’s dangerous.” The “missing” 30 pounds were added with prosthetics and special makeup. This combination was optimal for him, Cage said.
Losing the Pounds: “I’m on the Elliptical for a Few Hours Every Day”
After filming the biopic “Madden,” Nicolas Cage faced the challenge of shedding the extra pounds he had gained. When asked if the weight came off easily after filming, the 62-year-old replied, “Not really.” To lose the weight, Cage relied on consistent cardio training at the gym. His weapon of choice is the elliptical trainer, on which he spends a significant amount of time daily. “I’m still doing it. I’m on the elliptical for a few hours every day.”
The fact that Nicolas Cage, at 62, spends several hours daily on the elliptical to lose weight sounds like hard work–but it’s a smart choice from a health perspective. Unlike another popular endurance sport, running, hours of training on the elliptical doesn’t strain the joints. And: At high intensity, you can burn up to 800 calories per hour on such a machine.
The smooth, elliptical motion effectively protects the knees, hips, and spine from overuse injuries. For a man of Cage’s age, the elliptical was a safe method to burn fat and challenge the cardiovascular system without ruining the joints.