Leaving Las Vegas

Top 10 Fun Facts

1. Nicolas Cage conducted extensive research to develop his character in Leaving Las Vegas by binge drinking in Sin City. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
2. The author of the novel that inspired Leaving Los Vegas, John O'Brien, committed suicide two weeks after the movie went into production. The film's director decided to move forward with the film as a memorial for O'Brien.
3. Supermodel Naomi Campbell's scenes in Leaving Las Vegas ended up on the editing room floor. No word on where her cell phone ended up when she got the news.
4. To prepare for his role in Leaving Las Vegas, actor Nicolas Cage filmed himself drunk so he could accurately re-create his slurred speech for the film. There might be less drinking in the world if others also did this.
5. Leaving Las Vegas director Mike Figgis thought it would be better to ask for forgiveness rather than plead for permission. So without obtaining shoot permits, Figgis quickly filmed some street scenes in one shot, hoping to avoid any police confrontation.
6. Leaving Las Vegas led to the spoof, Eating Las Vegas, about a binge eater who travels to Las Vegas to eat himself to death. This is easily done at any one of the cornucopia of all-you-can-eat buffets nestled within the city's hotels.
7. At first Leaving Las Vegas was supposed to only have a limited release starting on October 27, 1995. But after gaining recognition from the Academy Awards and critics everywhere, the filmmakers decided to release the film nationwide on February 9, 1996.
8. Actress Elisabeth Shue hung out with prostitutes and interviewed them on the Las Vegas strip in preparation for her role in Leaving Las Vegas. It was a long way from Adventures in Babysitting.
9. Director Mike Figgis exercised a little self-promotion in his film Leaving Las Vegas. In a couple scenes, taxis are shown bearing advertisements for "Red Mullet," which just so happens to be the name of the director's production company. His face also graces the ads.
10. Mike Figgis is a true renaissance man. Not only did he direct the critically acclaimed movie Leaving Las Vegas, he also composed the film's score and played the trumpet and keyboards on the film's soundtrack.

Cast

Crew