Actor Nicolas Cage knew his 5th wife was the one because she had pet flying squirrels

Riko Shibata (left) and Nicolas Cage arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Pig' on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Photo: AP

Actor Nicolas Cage has opened up about how he fell in love with his Japanese wife Riko Shibata.

Their wedding in February made news not only because it was the 57-year-old actor's fifth time down the aisle, but also because she is more than 30 years younger than him. At 26, she is also four years younger than his oldest son, Weston.

"We met in Japan and I thought she was stunning when I met her. We had a lot in common," Cage said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday (July 14).

"She likes animals too, so I asked her, 'Do you have any pets?' And she said, 'Yes, I have flying squirrels'.

"She had two sugar gliders ... I thought, 'That's it. This could work out'."

Little else is known about his wife, who was first spotted with Cage in New Orleans in February 2020. This is her first marriage.

The couple were photographed on the red carpet for the first time on Tuesday for the premiere of his latest movie Pig since tying the knot in Las Vegas in February.

Cage said: "I'm quite excited to take a picture with her." – The Straits Times/Asia News Network