Nicolas Cage visits Kenyan prison to talk to Somali pirates

Hollywood superstar and debt-ridden actor Nicolas Cage visited a Kenyan prison to talk to the Somali pirates to hear their stories and understand their motivation for their crimes.

United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and Hollywood actor, Nicolas Cage, visited a Kenyan prison that is holding Somali pirates who are awaiting their trial of piracy in the Indian Ocean, according to the Associated Press. As Cage entered the jail, inmates danced for the star of “National Treasure” and “The Rock” as they shook the star’s hand in the Shimo La Tewa prison in Mombasa. Shimo La Tewa has been described as the gold-standard and a model for other prisons in the region. He described the prison as “the warmest prison in the world.” Cage provided awards for the recognition for some of the wardens’ work such as Chief Warden Wanini Kireri. The actor who is suffering from serious financial debt told the Associated Press that he wanted to visit the Pirates to discuss their motivations and understand their culture, “Then I'm in a position where I can actually make some sense and talk about it when I go back to the States where I go talk to different U.N. councils and discuss the matter.” Daily Nation reports that Cage’s mission was a secretive two-day stay in Mombasa and he wasn’t given the opportunity to answer any questions from journalists. Cage’s visit to Mombasa has become the subject of parody and ridicule in the media such as New York Magazine who headlined their article “Don’t Worry, Nicolas Cage Is On Top of the Somali Pirate Problem” and pegged the question, “Has he been chewing on those funky leaves they have over there? And is this actually happening or are we dreaming it?” Currently, Somali Pirates are seizing more than a dozen ships and 200 crew members.