Nicolas Cage knows it may sound “pretentious,” but he would prefer you refer to him as a “thespian.”

The Oscar winner known for performances in such films as “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Face/Off” shared during a conversation on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast that he’s not a fan of being called an “actor.”

“For me it always implies, ‘Oh, he’s a great actor, therefore he’s a great liar,'” Cage said.

“Thespian” works better for him, he said, “because thespian means you’re going into your heart, or you’re going into your imagination, or your memories or your dreams, and you’re bringing something back to communicate with the audience.”

He currently stars in the film “Pig” and refers to the film’s director Michael Sarnoski as “Archangel Michael.”

“I knew after a couple of flops that I had been marginalized in the studio system; and I wasn’t going to get invited by them,” Cage said. “I always knew that it would take a young filmmaker who would come back or remember some movies I had made and know that I might be right for his script and rediscover me.

And that’s why he’s not just Michael, he’s Archangel Michael.”