Nicolas Cage: Bangkok Became Dangerous

This story was written by CBSNews.com's Melissa Castellanos

Academy-award winning actor Nicolas Cage loved being immersed in the Thai culture for the filming of his latest movie, "Bangkok Dangerous," but he didn't expect the bustling, authentic backdrop to literally become a danger zone.

The 1999 Asian action-thriller remake by the Pang Brothers, (Chinese screenwriters and twins Danny and Oxide) which topped the box office on Sept. 5 at $7.8 million in what was the slowest movie weekend in seven years, stars Cage as an American assassin (Joe) on his final mission.

Luckily for Cage, his role in the film wasn't his last acting mission.

While on set, the cast was interrupted by a military coup, which tried to overthrow Thailand's Prime Minister Sumak Sundaravej and dissolve Parliament.

"I was on the set. It was outside. It was about one in the morning. The man in charge of the weapons said that we can't fire the guns because there is a military coup takeover happening right now and if you fire the weapons, they may fire back. I didn't know what to make of it," Cage told CBSNews.com.

Hollywood persona aside, Cage immediately though of his family and was compelled to take action.

"It was completely abstract. There was nothing in my world that could relate to that. One of Chinese directors looked at me and said 'Hey it's 'Bangkok Dangerous.'' And I realized then that I was going to do whatever I could to keep my family safe," Cage explained.

On a crusade to save his family, Cage immediately fled the area by boat and got his child, wife and father-in-law on a plane to Korea and then flew back to Bangkok.

"I gave myself 50-50 and I didn't really know what would happen. But then I did go and finished the scene and the next morning I saw people putting flowers in the tank and realized I was out of the woods. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before."

Although at the time it was a peaceful overthrow and Cage was safe, the rest of Thailand wasn't "out of the woods."

Since then, anti-government protests escalated with thousands blocking the entrance to Sundaravej's office demanding his resignation, essentially taking over Thailand's Government House for three weeks. A state of emergency was declared on Sept. 2 and was lifted Sept. 14 and major airports were temporarily shut down by demonstrators.

Ultimately, Sundaravej was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for violating a conflict of interest law by hosting two television cooking shows while in office. Somchai Wongsawat was then chosen by Parliament as the acting prime minister.

Although calm has resumed, Thailand's recent political crisis was a major blow to tourism.

Ironically, while filming on set, Cage also took note of a peaceful Thai cultural difference before the political unrest.

"As myself, as Nicolas, going to Thailand and trying to fit in working with an all type crew and having the opportunity to live in that beautiful country for a couple of months. I was amazed and enchanted at the amount of time the Thai people take to bless one another and the amount of respect for eachother," he said.

Cage went on to explain the differences in commuting to work in Los Angeles and Bangkok. In Thailand, it takes an extra 20 minutes just to bow and acknowledge others, which Cage described as "very heart-warming."

With a desire to become "more global" in his work, Cage highlighted the independent spirit of the film and "a kind of dream logic that comes out of Asia."

"The Pangs draw their movies like graphic novels and they stay true to that," Cage said.

Keenly fond of the Asian culture, Cage, who is married to a Korean woman, recognized that remakes are always a challenge.

"I just think about whether or not there is something organic in it for me, something sincere -- if I can tell the story of the character and be honest, "Cage said. "I have my own feelings of enchantment and bewilderment in my own life. I am married to a Korean lady. I think that the best characters are the ones that remain attractive and ambiguous and raise more questions than answers."

Cage, known for his roles in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," "The Rock" and "Face/Off," has indeed raised more questions by bringing more attention to the culture and politics of Bangkok, whether the movie bombed or not.

"I was hoping that they (the Pang Brothers) would give me a new take on my work," Cage said. "That is why I made the movie."