Hollywood legend Nicolas Cage has been earning rave reviews off camera while filming his latest movie in Luton by treating the cast and crew to a hearty Greggs lunch.
The Oscar-winning actor, 61, is currently in the UK shooting Fortitude, a World War II espionage thriller which reunites him with his Con Air director Simon West. In the film, Cage stars as real-life double agent Duško Popov — the Serbian spy widely believed to have inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond.
According to insiders, Cage has thrown himself into local life since production began, quickly noticing the nation’s love affair with Greggs. Rather than opting for more traditional Hollywood catering, he ordered the high-street bakery chain to provide pastries, sausage rolls and sandwiches for everyone on set.
“Nicolas is a real man of the people,” a source told The Sun. “After seeing how popular Greggs was in the UK, he decided to get them on board to feed everyone. It went down a treat.”
The actor has been spotted filming scenes across Bedfordshire this week, cutting a dapper figure in a tuxedo and bow tie while brandishing a pistol — in a look straight out of the 007 playbook. Locals have flocked to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood A-lister between takes, with some sharing selfies and videos online of Cage waving and chatting warmly to fans.
Fortitude marks Cage’s third collaboration with West following Con Air (1997) and Stolen (2012). The British filmmaker has also brought historian Joshua Levine — who advised Christopher Nolan on Dunkirk — on board to ensure the project’s historical accuracy.
The film retells the extraordinary true story of Operation Fortitude, a British deception plan designed to convince Nazi Germany that Allied forces were preparing to invade Calais rather than Normandy. Popov, working alongside intelligence officers Dudley Clarke and Thomas Argyll “Tar” Robertson, helped craft an elaborate ruse involving fake military equipment and an army of double agents.
An impressive ensemble cast includes Matthew Goode, Ed Skrein, Alice Eve, Jordi Mollà, Michael Sheen, Sir Ben Kingsley and Art Malik, with filming expected to continue into the new year.
An official release date for Fortitude has yet to be confirmed.
