“I Felt Terrible” — Nicolas Cage Finally Comes Clean About Crashing Chris Rock’s 2002 Interview, Apologizes
SPIEL AUF ZEIT Snake Eyes USA 1998 Brian de Palma Ein politisch brisanter Mord in einerarena in Atlantic City: Cop Rick Santoro (NICOLAS CAGE) soll das Verbrechen an einem hochrangigen Minister aufklären. Sein Freund aus Kindertagen, Marinekommandant Kevin Dunne, soll ihm dabei zur Seite stehen. Rick wird im Verlauf seiner Ermittlungen in einen Strudel von Korruption und Intrigen hineingezogen und sieht sich mit seiner eigenen fragwürdigen Vergangenheit konfrontiert... Regie: Brian de Palma aka. Snake Eyes SPIEL AUF ZEIT USA 1998 Copyright: KPA !AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT! Nur redaktionelle Nutzung im Zusammenhang mit dem Film. Editorial usage only and only related to the movie. Im Falle anderer Verwendungen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte. For other uses, please contact us. UnitedArchives00641888
SPIEL AUF ZEIT Snake Eyes USA 1998 Brian de Palma Ein politisch brisanter Mord in einerarena in Atlantic City: Cop Rick Santoro (NICOLAS CAGE) soll das Verbrechen an einem hochrangigen Minister aufklären. Sein Freund aus Kindertagen, Marinekommandant Kevin Dunne, soll ihm dabei zur Seite stehen. Rick wird im Verlauf seiner Ermittlungen in einen Strudel von Korruption und Intrigen hineingezogen und sieht sich mit seiner eigenen fragwürdigen Vergangenheit konfrontiert... Regie: Brian de Palma aka. Snake Eyes SPIEL AUF ZEIT USA 1998 Copyright: KPA !AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT! Nur redaktionelle Nutzung im Zusammenhang mit dem Film. Editorial usage only and only related to the movie. Im Falle anderer Verwendungen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte. For other uses, please contact us. UnitedArchives00641888
Some celebrity entrances become legendary, while others apparently come with an apology decades later. Back in 2002, Nicolas Cage crashed Chris Rock’s interview on The Howard Stern Show, strolling into the live broadcast in a full leather suit and catching Howard Stern completely off guard, a very unusual scene even by today's standards. Now, Cage has revealed that he apologized to Rock for the bizarre interruption, admitting that he had a problem with crossing the line back then.
Hollywood never runs out of unfinished business, and Cage’s long-overdue apology proves that even the most outrageous celebrity antics can come back around.
Nicolas Cage recalls the 2002 Chris Rock interview crashing moment
Nicolas Cage has finally addressed the celebrity interview crash that left him feeling guilty for years, revealing that he has since apologized to Chris Rock. During his Spotlight conversation at New York Comic Con on Saturday, the 62-year-old Con Air actor was asked whether he planned to crash any panels. Cage made it clear that his days of unexpected interruptions were behind him.
“Chris Rock was on The Howard Stern Show, and I just crashed the show, and I felt terrible,” Cage admitted.
The infamous incident dates back to 2002, when Cage showed up unannounced during Chris Rock’s interview on The Howard Stern Show. However, the National Treasure star explained that he had not even known Rock was the scheduled guest when he walked into the studio. His real mission was to catch Howard Stern off guard before the host could prepare his questions.
May 13, 2026, New York, United States: Nicolas Cage attends Prime Video s Spider-Noir world premiere at Regal Times Square on May 13, 2026 in New York City. New York United States - ZUMAs197 20260513_aaa_s197_672 Copyright: xRonxAdarx
May 13, 2026, New York, United States: Nicolas Cage attends Prime Video s Spider-Noir world premiere at Regal Times Square on May 13, 2026 in New York City. New York United States - ZUMAs197 20260513_aaa_s197_672 Copyright: xRonxAdarx
Fortunately, the awkward encounter did not leave things permanently uncomfortable between the two Hollywood stars. Cage revealed that he later approached Rock, praised him as “probably the coolest human in all of Hollywood,” and told him, “I love you.” Rock took the apology graciously, although Cage conceded that interrupting the comedian probably was not his finest move.
While Nicolas Cage might not be Amazon’s friendliest face these days, he was once rather fond of dropping in unannounced, with Howard Stern’s 2002 interview crash being just one example of his talent for catching hosts off guard.
Nicolas Cage previously chaotic interview reputation
Nicolas Cage once somersaulted onto a talk-show stage, threw money at the audience, performed karate kicks, and ripped off his shirt, all while promoting a movie. The 1990 appearance on the BBC’s Wogan was an early glimpse of the actor’s talent for turning routine interviews into unpredictable spectacles. By the time Cage crashed Chris Rock’s interview in 2002, this was hardly unfamiliar territory.
Nicolas Cage during the Joe photocall at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. August 30, 2013 Foto:xDaziramx xFuturexImage
Nicolas Cage during the Joe photocall at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. August 30, 2013 Foto:xDaziramx xFuturexImage
Promoting Wild at Heart, Cage brought enough mayhem to make a standard celebrity appearance look positively uneventful. The Oscar winner later admitted that he deliberately cultivated a punk-rock aura when he was younger, using wild behavior to keep people guessing. That history adds another layer to his recent confession that he apologized to Rock for the 2002 interruption, admitting he had a problem with crossing the line.
What do you think of Nicolas Cage's apology to Chris Rock? Let us know in the comments!
Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra
