Nicolas Kim Coppola (Cage) was born January 7, 1964 in Long Beach, California. Nephew of famous director Francis Ford Coppola, Cage changed his name in order to stem any rumors of nepotism. The name Cage was taken from the comic book character Luke Cage. (Cage loves comic books, equating them to modern mythology.) Cage’s father, August Coppola, is a comparative literature professor and his mother, Joy Vogelsang, is a dancer/choreographer. Her long struggle with depression and subsequent hospitalizations kept her away from the family for long periods of time, and Cage’s parents eventually divorced.
Cage studied theater at Beverly Hills High but dropped out when he was only seventeen. Other celebrities to pass through Beverly Hills High include Angelina Jolie, Lenny Kravitz, David Schwimmer, Jonathon Silverman, Gina Gershon, Rob Reiner, Pauly Shore, Betty White, Albert Brooks, and Cage’s good friend Crispin Glover.
In 1982, Cage had his first movie role in the classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. However, many of his scenes were cut, and he was forced to sell popcorn at the Fairfax Theater for money. But Cage didn’t need to wait long for the career boost he needed. Playing the punk rocker in Valley Girl (1983), Cage—the first time he was credited so—became a new name in the acting world.
He worked steadily throughout the 80s, finding a classic in the Joel and Ethan Coen production Raising Arizona (1987). Opposite Holly Hunter, John Goodman, and Frances McDormand, the movie was one of the very first Coen films, preceded only by Blood Simple. Cage’s next major hit was Moonstruck (1987). For their respective roles, Cher won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Cage earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical. In 1989, Cage starred in the horror-comedy Vampire’s Kiss. He was awarded with a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor and a Best Actor win at the Catalonian International Film Festival.
Always looking for strange and varied roles, Cage starred in the 1990 David Lynch production Wild at Heart. He played Sailor opposite Laura Dern’s Lulu. The film also starred Willem Dafoe, Isabella Rossellini, and Diane Ladd.
Open to bigger budget films as well as art-house independent productions, Cage took roles such as Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) with James Caan and Sarah Jessica Parker. Cage was nominated for another Golden Globe. He also found roles in Guarding Tess (1994) with Shirley MacLaine, and It Could Happen to You (1994) with Bridget Fonda and Rosie Perez.
In 1995, Cage landed the role that would win him the most critical acclaim. He starred opposite Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas. For his portrayal of an alcoholic screenwriter determined to drink himself to death in Vegas, Cage won almost every acting award conceivable, including the coveted Oscar for Best Actor. With his Oscar win, he made the Coppolas only the second family in history to have three generations of Oscar winners. (The other family was the Hustons.)
Riding off the success of his Oscar win, Cage went on to a prolific and successful film career throughout the mid-90s—a streak which continues to present day. He’s done big budget thrillers such as The Rock, Con Air, Face Off, and Snake Eyes. Cage has also starred in his share of romantic comedies, including City of Angels and The Family Man. His recent films Gone in Sixty Seconds, Adaptation, National Treasure, and Lord of War have all been huge successes. Especially Adaptation, a film that garnered Cage with even more critical acclaim and another Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Cage has just under ten films in the works. Two are completed The Wicker Man and Ghost Rider and he is currently filming Time to Kill. Cage’s personal life is almost as interesting as his film career. The day Cage met Patricia Arquette, he proposed. She laughed but decided to play along, making a list of tasks he’d need to fulfill in order to win her hand. When Cage started completing the items on the list, she stopped laughing and promptly avoided him.