(New Orleans, LA) Last week I met with famed actor and international meme-star Nicolas Cage just outside of his former abode, the infamous LaLaurie Mansion, in the sweaty, sticky NOLA heat.

“Walk with me,” Cage said, standing to greet me. “I may not own the place anymore, but I can at least show you around.”

LaLaurie Mansion was home to the sadistic Madame Delphine LaLaurie, who tortured multiple slaves there in unspeakably cruel ways. While it would not surprise me to find that it was simply his obsession with historical treasure-hunts that drove him to such an eccentric purchase, I learned that it was Cage’s desire to connect with the mysteries of the supposed haunted house that led him to obtain the property, which he had to foreclose on in 2009.

It was this same desire to dreg up the ghosts of the past that influenced Cage’s outlook on the current bee crisis.

“You all saw my film The Wicker Man,” the actor said. “Of course you all saw it. And you know, the whole thing with the bees. That famous ‘NOT THE BEES NOT THE BEES’ scene? It really changed me,” he chuckled sadly. “I can’t even watch The Bee Movie without cringing.”

After this point in our interview, Cage went silent; at least, he went silent towards me. He refused to say anything else that could be categorized as coherent, mumbling something about bunnies, boxes, and Cher in a red dress as he shuffled off into the Louisiana haze.

This article was written by Maggie McAlister, a semi-professional Bee Wrangler. If her current career hopes and dreams are dashed, her backup plan is to become a full-fledged professional Bee Wrangler. You can follow her on Twitter @madmaggs21.