Nicolas Cage

26xK...gHma

14 Feb 2024

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Kim Coppola, known professionally as Nicolas Cage, was born on January 7, 1964. He comes from the renowned Coppola family in the film industry. Cage began his acting career in the early 1980s with roles in films like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) and "Valley Girl" (1983). He also appeared in several films directed by his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, including "Rumble Fish" (1983), "The Cotton Club" (1984), and "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986).
His breakthrough performances came with "Moonstruck" (1987) and "Raising Arizona" (1987), earning him critical acclaim. Cage reached the pinnacle of success when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995). He was also nominated for an Oscar for his dual role in "Adaptation" (2002).

Cage's career has spanned various genres, from action films like "The Rock" (1996), "Con Air" (1997), "Face/Off" (1997), and "Gone in 60 Seconds" (2000), to dramas like "City of Angels" (1998), "Bringing Out the Dead" (1999), and "The Family Man" (2000). He's also known for his roles in franchises like "National Treasure" (2004–2007) and "Ghost Rider" (2007–2011), as well as for his voice work in animated films such as "The Croods" franchise (2013–present) and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018).
In addition to acting, Cage owns the production company Saturn Films and has produced and directed several films. He has been recognized as one of the top movie stars, appearing on Empire magazine's list of the top 100 movie stars of all time and Premiere's list of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood. Cage's recent performances in films like "Mandy" (2018), "Pig" (2021), "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" (2022), and "Dream Scenario" (2023) have earned him renewed critical acclaim.

Nicolas Cage was born in Long Beach, California, to August Coppola, a literature professor, and Joy Vogelsang, a dancer and choreographer. He grew up in a Catholic household. His father was of Italian descent, while his mother had mainly German and Polish ancestry, with some English and Scottish heritage from her father's side. Nicolas's paternal grandparents were composer Carmine Coppola and actress Italia Pennino, and his paternal great-grandparents were immigrants from Bernalda, Basilicata.

Coming from a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry, Nicolas is the youngest of three sons. His older brothers are Marc "The Cope" Coppola, a New York radio personality, and Christopher Coppola, a director. Nicolas attended Beverly Hills High School, known for its many alumni who pursued careers in entertainment. From a young age, he harbored aspirations of becoming an actor and also studied at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. His initial exposure to acting outside of cinema was in a school production of "Golden Boy."

Nicolas's passion for acting was ignited by his admiration for James Dean, particularly his performances in "Rebel Without a Cause" and "East of Eden." At the age of 15, Nicolas tried to convince his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, to give him a screen test, expressing his desire to prove himself as an actor. However, his plea was met with silence, as Coppola had already worked with esteemed actors such as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, and Robert De Niro.
Although Nicolas appeared in some of his uncle's films early in his career, he decided to change his last name to Cage to avoid any perception of nepotism. He derived his stage name from the Marvel Comics superhero Luke Cage and composer John Cage.

Nicolas Cage began his acting career with a television pilot titled "The Best of Times" in 1981, although the show was not picked up by ABC. His first film role came in 1982 with a minor part in the coming-of-age film "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," where he portrayed an unnamed co-worker of Judge Reinhold's character. It was during this experience that Cage became frustrated with cast members constantly quoting his uncle's films, leading him to change his name.

His first starring role came in 1983 in the romantic comedy "Valley Girl," opposite Deborah Foreman. In the film, Cage played a punk who falls for the titular valley girl, loosely inspired by the Romeo and Juliet story. While the film was only a modest box office success at the time, it has since gained a cult following.
Although Cage lost the role of Dallas Winston in his uncle's film "The Outsiders" to Matt Dillon, he did co-star in Coppola's adaptation of another S.E. Hinton novel, "Rumble Fish," in the same year.

In 1984, Cage appeared in three period films, including "Racing with the Moon," "The Cotton Club," and "Birdy." While these films did not perform well commercially, Cage received critical acclaim for his performances, particularly in "Birdy," where he lost weight and had two front teeth pulled out to accurately portray a disfigured Vietnam War veteran.
Cage's career continued with diverse roles in films like "The Boy in Blue" (1986), "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1987), and "Raising Arizona" (1987). However, his biggest breakthrough came with the romantic comedy "Moonstruck" (1987), where he starred alongside Cher. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning Cage a Golden Globe nomination and widespread praise for his performance.

In 1989, Nicolas Cage starred in the black comedy "Vampire's Kiss," playing a man who becomes convinced he is turning into a vampire after a bizarre encounter. Despite being a box office flop at the time, the film has since gained a cult following, largely due to Cage's surreal and over-the-top performance, which has become a subject of internet memes. Critic Vincent Canby criticized the film, stating that it was "dominated and destroyed" by Cage's chaotic and self-indulgent performance.

Following "Vampire's Kiss," Cage starred in the Italian drama "Time to Kill" (1989) and then portrayed the romantic lead in David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" (1990). In "Wild at Heart," Cage played a passionate character named "Sailor" Ripley, who is on the run with his lover, portrayed by Laura Dern, from hired gangsters. Cage was drawn to the role because it allowed him to portray a passionate character akin to one of his heroes, Elvis Presley. Despite winning the Palme d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, "Wild at Heart" received mixed reviews.

In addition to "Wild at Heart," Cage starred in the action film "Fire Birds" (1990) as a helicopter pilot, which was unfavorably compared to "Top Gun" (1986). His next film, the erotic thriller "Zandalee" (1991), was released direct-to-video in the United States. Cage's performance in the romantic comedy "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992) received positive reviews, earning him his second Golden Globe nomination.

Throughout the early 1990s, Cage appeared in several films, including "Deadfall" (1993), "Amos & Andrew" (1993), and "Red Rock West" (1993), the latter of which was praised by critics. He also starred in "Guarding Tess" (1994), "It Could Happen to You" (1994), and "Trapped in Paradise" (1994), but these films received mixed to negative reviews and did not perform well at the box office. Cage's involvement in "Trapped in Paradise" extended to directing portions of the film due to the lack of direction from the film's director, George Gallo.