Nicolas Cage (born January 7, 1964) is an Academy Award-winning American actor and an exemplar of method acting. He has also worked as a director and producer, through his production company Saturn Films. As of 2007, Cage has been nominated twice for an Academy Award as Best Actor in a Leading Role, winning the award for his performance in Leaving Las Vegas.
Cage was born Nicolas Kim Coppola in Long Beach, California. His father, August Coppola, is a professor of literature, while Cage's mother, Joy Vogelsang, is a dancer and choreographer; the two divorced in 1976. His mother suffered from chronic depression. Cage's mother is of German descent and his father is Italian American, with his paternal grandparents being Carmine Coppola and Italia Pennino, an actress. Through his father, Cage is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, as well as the cousin of director Sofia Coppola and actors Robert Carmine and Jason Schwartzman. Cage's two brothers are Christopher Coppola, a director, and Marc "The Cope" Coppola, a New York radio personality. Cage was born into a Roman Catholic household and remains one to this day.
Cage, who attended and dropped out of Beverly Hills High School (the same high school as fellow entertainers Albert Brooks, Angelina Jolie, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Rob Reiner, Bonnie Franklin and David Schwimmer), aspired to act from an early age. His first (non-cinematic) acting experience was in a school production of Golden Boy. He is also good friends with fellow actor Johnny Depp, whom he advised to get into acting.
Though haunted by cries of nepotism early in his career, engaging, sleepy-eyed American star Nicolas Cage, nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, led anything but a charmed existence growing up amidst the placid suburban comfort of Long Beach, California. His mother's hospitalizations for severe depression kept her away from the family for long intervals, and his parents' subsequent divorce, coupled with his adolescent feelings of "dorkiness" made it easy for him to identify with James Dean's outsider status in 1955's "East of Eden.” Credited as Nicolas Cage for the first time, he channeled his frustrations through his initial leading character in "Valley Girl" (1983), his name change inspired by Luke Cage, the black comic-book hero who suffers from depression and insecurity. He has always looked at the world as a very strange place, and his correspondingly dark vision has colored his work from the beginning.
Cage graduated from teenage angst after providing a strong presence in a small part in his uncle's underrated "Rumble Fish" (1983), making his first serious dramatic waves as the sensitive, strong and fiercely loyal friend of Matthew Modine in "Birdy" (1984), Alan Parker's duet for emotionally scarred Vietnam veterans. Although roundly criticized at the time for his over-the-top choices in Coppola's nostalgic "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986), they attracted the attention of Cher who, likening his strangely compelling performance to watching a two-hour car crash, proposed him for the role of Ronny in "Moonstruck" (1987)—then walked out of the production for a day until the producers gave in. "Moonstruck" was his first really big box-office hit, and though some critics objected to his portrayal of the inarticulate but philosophical baker he patterned after Cocteau's alienated monster from 1946's "Beauty and the Beast,” it was unmistakably vintage Cage.
Cage showcased his goofier qualities in such movies as the Coen brothers' screwball comedy "Raising Arizona" (1987) and David Lynch's odyssey, "Wild at Heart" (1990), in which no amount of overacting as Elvis-acolyte Sailor could ever be too much for Lynch's anything-goes universe. He probably single-handedly guaranteed a perpetual cult status for "Vampire's Kiss" (1989) when he ate a live cockroach in yet another method-acting stunt (he had knocked out a tooth for the filming of "Birdy"), and though the critics united with the public in ignoring "Amos and Andrew" (1993), it was his wacky charm that was central to the success of Andrew Bergman's comedy "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992). Unfortunately Bergman couldn't repeat the formula for "It Could Happen to You" (1994), despite the presence of Cage in that cast. Returning to the Nevada city in Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995), Cage delivered an uncharacteristically subtle, multi-layered performance as an alcoholic writer out to commit suicide. Bringing warmth and humor to what could have been an unsympathetic role, Cage earned rave notices, earning nearly every possible award, including a Best Actor Academy Award.
In order to avoid cries of nepotism as the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, he changed his name from Nicholas Coppola to Nicolas Cage early in his career. The assumed surname is inspired by Marvel Comics character Luke Cage, a streetwise superhero. Since his feature film debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, in which he had a minute role opposite Sean Penn, Cage has appeared in a wide range of films, both mainstream and offbeat. He even wished for the role of Dallas Winston in his uncle's film The Outsiders, based on S.E. Hinton's novel, but lost to Matt Dillon.
He has been nominated twice for an Academy Award, and won once, for his performance as a suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas. His other nomination was for playing real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and Kaufman's fictional twin Donald in Adaptation.. Despite these successes, most of his lower-profile films have performed poorly at the box office compared with his more mainstream, action-filled efforts. In 2005, for example, audiences ignored two offbeat, non-mainstream films he headlined, Lord of War and The Weather Man. Despite good reviews for his acting and nationwide releases for both films, neither found a significant audience. Poor reviews for the film The Wicker Man did not, inversely, create a hit; to further buck the trend, the critically-panned Ghost Rider (2007) was a significant hit, earning more than $45 million during its opening weekend (landing in the top spot) and over $208 million worldwide through the weekend ending on 25 March 2007. More recently he also starred in the 2007 movie Next, which shares the concept of a glimpse into an alternate time track with The Family Man (2000).
Following his Oscar win, Cage reinvented himself as an action hero, starring in a trio of blockbuster muscle movies that elevated him to the ranks of aging icons Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford. "The Rock" (1996) teamed his at-first geeky FBI biochemist with Sean Connery (as the only man ever to have escaped from Alcatraz) to free hostages on the famous island while "Con Air" (1997) matched his bad-luck good guy with offbeat Federal Marshall John Cusack to foil the machinations of some of the hardest criminals ever assembled. After playing a psychotic terrorist who gets to swap identities with FBI guy John Travolta in John Woo's "Face/Off" (1997), Cage enjoyed a respite from actioners in "City of Angels" (1998), a love story inspired by Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire" (1988), before taking his turn in Brian De Palma's crime thriller "Snake Eyes" (1998). In 1999, Cage starred in two edgy thrillers, the vile "8mm" directed by Joel Schumacher and the intriguing but ultimately unfulfilling "Bringing Out the Dead" directed by Martin Scorsese.
Cage followed up his "Adaptation" triumph with a much-admired turn in director Ridley Scott's "Matchstick Men" (2003) as a small time con man with an abundance of pathological quirks who nevertheless comes alive when he discovers the 14-year-old daughter he never knew existed. Then he returned to action fare—this time in a more lighthearted and appealing mode—with the panned-but-popular Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "National Treasure" (2004), this time playing Benjamin Franklin Gates, the descendent of a treasure-hunting clan who seeks a war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War. Next was his turn in "Lord of War" (2005) as Yuri Orlov, a globetrotting arms dealer struggling to stay one step ahead of his enemies—a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals, and his notorious dictator customers—while also grappling his own conscience.
The movie polarized critics—some hated it and others praised it, but all agreed Cage turned in a finely etched performance. Even better was his portrayal of the successful Chicago weather forecaster Dave Spritz who nevertheless inspires total strangers to throw fast foot at him in director Gore Verbinksi's seriocomic, existential "The Weather Man" (2005). Playing a newly introspective man wresting with his own mediocrity and plagued with an inability to meaningfully connect with his family members--his accomplished writer father (Michael Caine), his estranged wife (Hope Davis) and his children—in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking, Cage delivered one of his most measured, effective and surprisingly low-key performances, and sparked much awards season buzz.
After voicing Zoc, the ant wizard in “The Ant Bully” (2006), Cage starred as Port Authority officer John McLoughlin in Oliver Stone’s sober and heart-wrenching look at the September 11th terrorist attacks, “World Trade Center” (2006). Along with Officer Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), McLoughlin survived for twenty-four hours underneath the rubble after both towers had collapsed. “World Trade Center” opened up to generally positive reviews, though a few expressed concern that it was too soon for a film about the horrific events. Meanwhile, Cage was set to be seen in “The Wicker Man” (2006), Neil LaBute’s remake of the 1973 British movie about a Scottish police officer who goes to a remote island to find a missing girl where he discovers the inhabitants engaged in strange and secretive rituals.
Returning to the big budget fame and glory that defined his career, Cage, a lifelong comic book fan who flirted with virtually every comic book adaptation from Superman to Constantine appeared in "Ghost Rider" (2007), playing the flaming-skulled motorcycle-riding demon bounty hunter forced by contract to do the Devil’s bidding. Instead of the hard-drinking, heavy metal-loving character from the comics, Cage transformed him into a jelly bean-eating teetotaler who loves to listen to the Carpenters—a testament to the actor’s famed weirdness. Despite an online uproar from comic geeks over early leaked footage of the character’s distinctive flaming skull, “Ghost Rider” rolled to an easy box office take of $52 million over the course of a 4-day holiday weekend—surprising given the typical antipathy of audiences for past mid-February releases.
In addition to his high-profile acting career, Cage frequently made headlines for his high-profile romances. After a frequently unorthodox marriage to actress Patricia Arquette, Cage had an on-again, off-again relationship with Lisa Marie Presley. When their brief marriage ended for good in 2004, the actor surprised many with his marriage to Alice Kim, a former sushi waitress 20 years younger than Cage, a mere two months after his divorce from Presley was finalized.
Most of his financial successes have come from his forays into the action-adventure genre. In his second highest grossing film to date, National Treasure, he played an eccentric historian who goes on a dangerous adventure to find treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers of the United States. Other action hits in which Cage has starred include The Rock, in which he played a young FBI chemical weapons expert who infiltrates Alcatraz Island in hopes of neutralizing a terrorist threat, Face/Off, a John Woo film where he played both a hero and a villain, and World Trade Center, director Oliver Stone's film regarding the September 11, 2001 attacks. He also had a small but notable role as the Chinese criminal mastermind Dr. Fu Manchu in Rob Zombie's fake trailer Werewolf Women of the S.S. from the critically-acclaimed B-movie double feature Grindhouse.
In recent years, Cage has experimented in other film-related fields besides acting. He made his directorial debut with Sonny, a low-budget drama starring James Franco as a male prostitute whose mother (Brenda Blethyn) serves as his pimp. Cage had a small role in the grim film, which received poor reviews and a short run in a limited number of theatres.
Cage's producing career has also seen success. Shadow of the Vampire, the first film produced by Saturn Films, the company he founded with partner Jeff Levine, was nominated for an Academy Award. He also produced The Life of David Gale, a death penalty-themed thriller with Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet.
In early December 2006, Cage announced at the Bahamas International Film Festival that he planned to curtail his future acting endeavors in order to pursue other interests. Cage said, "I feel I've made a lot of movies already and I want to start exploring other opportunities that I can apply myself to, whether it's writing or other interests that I may develop". Cage is listed as the executive producer of the The Dresden Files on the Sci-Fi Channel.
In November 2007, Cage was spotted backstage at a Ring of Honor wrestling show in New York City researching his role for the upcoming movie "The Wrestler".
Nicholas Cage will star in a Sci-Fi Thriller film titled "Knowing" by acclaimed Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly, which begins production on March 17 2008, in Melbourne, Australia. Cage will play a teacher who examines the contents of a time capsule unearthed at his son's elementary school. Startling predictions in the time capsule that have already come true lead him to believe the world is going to end at the close of the week and that he and his son are somehow involved in the destruction.
In his early 20s, he dated actress Elizabeth Daily for two years, and was later involved with Uma Thurman. In 1988, Cage began dating Christina Fulton, mother of their son, Weston Coppola Cage (b. 26 December 1990); Weston appeared in Cage's film Lord of War as Vladimir, a young Ukrainian mechanic who quickly disarms a Mil Mi-24 helicopter.
Cage has been married three times, Patricia Arquette (married on April 8, 1995 – divorce finalized May 18, 2001) Cage proposed to her on the day he met her in the early 80s. Arquette thought he was strange, but played along with his antics by creating a list of things Cage would have to do to "win her hand", including obtaining the autograph of reclusive author J.D. Salinger. However, when he seriously started working through the list of demands, Arquette became scared and avoided him.
They met again many years later and went on to marry. Lisa Marie Presley (married on August 10, 2002 and separated after four months in December 2002; their divorce was finalized on May 16, 2004) — the daughter of Elvis Presley, of whom Cage is a fan and based his performance in Wild at Heart on. He later said they shouldn't have been married in the first place. Alice Kim, a former waitress who previously worked at the Los Angeles restaurant Kabuki, met Cage at Los Angeles based Korean Nightclub, Le Privé. She is mother to his son, Kal-El (born October 3, 2005). She had a minor role in the 2007 movie Next which he produced. They were married in an island off the coast of New Zealand.
Cage had a Malibu home where he and Alice lived, but in 2004 he bought a property on Paradise Island, Bahamas. In 2005, he sold his Malibu home for $10 million. In May 2006, he bought a 40-acre island in the Exuma archipelago which had been on the market for $3 million, some 85 miles southeast of Nassau and close to a similar island owned by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
On July 19, 2006, Cage bought the old medieval castle of Schloss Neidstein (see de:Schloss Neidstein) in the Oberpfalz region in Germany. His grandmother was German, living in Cochem an der Mosel.
In August 2007, Cage purchased a home in Middletown, Rhode Island. The 24,000-square foot, brick-and-stone country manor, on 26 secluded acres, has 12 bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms and sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean from its perch bordering the Norman Bird Sanctuary. Cage sale ranks in the state’s most expensive residential purchases, eclipsed by the $17.15 million sale last December of the Miramar mansion on Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Also in 2007 he purchased Midford Castle in Somerset, England.
The name of his son, Kal El, comes from the Superman comic books. Kal El is Superman's birthname on the planet Krypton. He was once attached to play Superman in a film to be directed by Tim Burton. Nicolas was director Sam Raimi's first choice to play Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in the movie Spider-Man. He has even created a comic book, with his son Weston, called Voodoo Child, which is published by Virgin Comics.
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