Nicolas Cage’s financial meltdown is a tawdry, depressing tale full of expenditures that run the gamut from foolish to brain-twistingly stupid—like an A&E bio of MC Hammer with less interesting pants. But now, finally, there’s a bright spot in the murk: Johnny Depp wants to bail him out. Depp knows how deep a hole Cage has dug for himself, but he seems serious about covering the guy’s debts:

Johnny called Nic and basically told him not to worry and he’d help him and sort everything out. Johnny feels he owes his career to Nic and now wants to repay him – if Nic agrees.”

As the quote suggests, this isn’t a randomly impulsive gesture on Depp’s part. He and Cage first met back in the 80s, and Cage helped him land his first significant role in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise. The fact that he still remembers this after more than two decades makes Depp an awesomely, almost irritatingly classy guy, and a complete oddball in the entertainment world. All the same, he’d better keep an eye on any funds he sends to Cage. Given his track record, Nicolas is likely to blow the money converting his marble bathtub into a Galapagos tortoise hatchery or something.