It’s official. It happened. It actually frickin’ happened. Nicolas Cage – Oscar-winner, ace actor, huge movie star and marvellous eccentric – actually switched on the Christmas lights in his adopted hometown of Bath last night.
Cage, who has owned several properties in and around the beautiful Somerset town (just a stone’s throw from Hot Fuzz’s Wells) for a few years now, was asked to turn on the lights – usually the domain of C-list celebs and the town’s Mayor – by a local resident, Emma Samways, who popped a letter through his front door.
Cage readily agreed and last night, sporting a long coat, swept-back hair and a snow-white goatee, he appeared on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans (or neighbours) and, egged on by the event’s presenter, professional twonk Toby Anstis, pressed the plunger that turned on the shiny display. Ooh, shiny.
“Thank you citizens of Bath, citizens of Somerset, for your kindness and your graciousness in welcoming me to your beautiful community,” said Cage, before slipping into classic unrestrained wild man mode. “I can feel the electricity running down my right arm. I gotta switch something here! I can feel it!”
And he did. And lo, it was better than National Treasure: Book Of Secrets.
Will this mark the start of a trend whereby top Hollywood stars follow in Cage’s footsteps? Will, as our good friends at T**** F*** suggested on Twitter, John Cusack turn up to open a new Tesco Metro in Wolverhampton? Is Angelina Jolie going to pitch up to open the new Poundland in Banbridge? And will Cage come to the Empire offices to turn on our own Christmas tree lights (£10 from Argos)? We await the answers with bated breath.