OLIVER STONE SAYS NICOLAS CAGE WAS PERFECT FOR WTC

(VIDEO) Oliver Stone talks about why he wanted Nic Cage for the role of Sergeant John McCoughlin in World Trade Center.

Director Oliver Stone had to find the right actor to play the part of Sergeant John McCoughlin, the real Port Authority police officer who is trapped beneath the rubble of the fallen twin towers in World Trade Center. He talks about his choice to cast Nicolas Cage.

In telling the story of the two surivivors Sergeant John McCoughlin and rookie Will Jimeno, Stone discovered that the Sergeant suffered even more when he was left alone after Will was rescued.

“Nic was perfect because he was not the Hollywood star who overweighs the project. He is at the same time an actor that people respected. He knew he was an actor’s actor and he looked like John and I had no problem believing that that connection could be made. Once Nic was set and he accepted readily. I sent him the script in Australia where he was doing Ghost Rider and I think within two days I got his response. It was a quick e-mail like I had written that said, ‘I’m in.’”

For the rescue scene Stone used real police officers and firemen mixed in with the extras. rn

“His was a grueling evening. You realize that Will (Jimeno) was taken out of the hole at midnight and John still was not taken out until 8 in the morning. In those eight hours when you’re a leader of men a Sergeant like he was, once you get your men out the tendency is to lapse. So your adrenaline goes down, your immune system. Now you’re in more danger. Those last eight hours must’ve been the strangest for John.”