Nicolas Kim Coppola, known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor, director, and producer. With a career spanning several decades, Cage has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performances.
Nicolas Kim Coppola was born on January 7, 1964, in Long Beach, California. His father, August Floyd Coppola, was a literature professor, and his mother, Joy Vogelsang, was a dancer and choreographer. He is of Italian, German, and Polish descent and was raised in a Catholic household. Cage has two brothers, Christopher Coppola, a director, and Marc Coppola, a radio DJ.
From an early age, Cage aspired to become an actor. He briefly attended Beverly Hills High School, a school known for its many alumni in the entertainment industry, before dropping out at the age of 17. He later enrolled at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television to pursue formal acting studies. To support himself, he took jobs including working at a Los Angeles movie theater, where he sold popcorn.
Determined to forge his path in Hollywood, Nicolas changed his professional surname from Coppola to Cage. Inspired by the Marvel Comics superhero Luke Cage, he made this change to avoid the appearance of nepotism due to his famous uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola. As a youth, he often visited his uncle’s home in San Francisco and sought acting opportunities through him.
Cage made his television debut in 1981. Although his early attempts to gain roles through family connections were unsuccessful, he began working for his uncle by reading lines with auditioning actors. This experience ultimately led to a small role in Coppola’s 1983 film Rumble Fish. His breakthrough came shortly thereafter with a starring role in the teen romantic comedy Valley Girl (1983).
Nicolas Cage has led a high-profile personal life, marked by multiple marriages and a deep interest in luxury and eccentric hobbies. He dated Christina Fulton and had a son, Weston Coppola Cage, with her. On April 8, 1995, he married actress Patricia Arquette, after a lengthy courtship that began with a proposal on the day they met. They divorced in 2001.
His second marriage was to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, on August 10, 2002. The relationship was short-lived, ending in divorce in 2004. Cage married Alice Kim, a former waitress, in 2004, and the couple had a son, Kal-El. They divorced in 2016. In 2019, he married makeup artist Erika Koike in Las Vegas, but filed for an annulment after just four days. As of February 16, 2021, Cage is married to Riko Shibata.
Nicolas Cage is known for his philanthropic contributions and has donated significant sums to various causes and charities, earning him a reputation as one of Hollywood's most generous actors. His lifestyle, however, has also attracted attention. Cage has owned over 15 properties, including a medieval castle in Germany, which he reportedly sold for $2.5 million, and estates in England, the Bahamas, and the United States.
His prized collection of 22 luxury cars includes nine Rolls-Royces. A passionate comic book collector, Cage once auctioned off part of his collection, with one rare issue selling for a record $2.16 million. His exotic tastes have extended to unusual pets; at various times he’s owned two King Cobras, a crocodile, a shark, and a lizard.
- Academy Award for Best Actor (1995) – Leaving Las Vegas
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (1996) – Leaving Las Vegas
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (1996) – Leaving Las Vegas
- Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Action/Adventure (1997) – The Rock
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1998)
One of Cage’s early successes was the 1987 romantic comedy Moonstruck, which co-starred Cher and won three Academy Awards. Cage’s performance contributed to the film’s critical and commercial success and earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
His role as a self-destructive alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) marked a turning point in his career, earning widespread critical acclaim and multiple prestigious awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor.
In 2004, Cage starred in the Walt Disney adventure film National Treasure. The film was a commercial hit, earning over $347.5 million worldwide and leading to a successful sequel. The film series remains one of his most recognized contributions to mainstream cinema.
