Nicolas Cage
From Celebritipedia
Contents |
Biography
Nicolas Cage is an American actor who has won numerous awards for his acting prowess. He is a champion of the box office, as well as being a favorite of the critics. He was born in Long Beach, California on January 7th, 1964 to August Coppola and Joy Vogelsang.[1] Coppola is the brother of famous director Francis Ford Coppola. Nicolas Cage changed his name in order to step out of the shadow cast by his uncle, the legendary director.
Cage's father was a literature professor and his mother a dancer and choreographer. Cage attended Beverly Hills High School, where he first became interested in acting. His acting debut was in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" in 1982, but he had a very small part.[8]
Acting Career
Nicolas Cage began his acting career in the 1980s with a few small roles that catapulted him to recognition. He was in his uncle's movie "Rumble Fish" in 1983, which gave him his first significant time on screen. Cage can play "scary" or "funny" depending on the role.[6]
He first got the idea for acting by watching James Dean in "East of Eden." Cage saw a parallel between the character played by James Dean and himself. Both lived their lives by trying to please their fathers. He was also undoubtedly influenced by spending summers as a child with his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola.
Cage's first lead role was in 1983's "Valley Girl."[7]
Cage's career really took off with his performance as a Viet Nam veteran in 1984's "Birdy." He also landed roles in "Cotton Club" and "Racing with the Moon." It was his role in "Moonstruck", along side Cher that was considered his breakthrough role.[6]
The high point for cage was 1995 when he won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in "Leaving Las Vegas", the story of an alcoholic writer who plans on killing himself in Las Vegas. After that movie, with his Oscar win in hand, he expands more into the action genre and increases his performing range even further.[7]
As time progressed, and the roles he experimented with increased, Cage became comfortable with the action genre. Since he has always been impressed with comic strips, he unsurprisingly took parts in movies based on superheros, such as "Ghostrider".
In 2004 and 2007 Cage had smash box office successes with "National Treasure" and "National Treasure 2", which cast him as a modern day Indiana Jones-style swashbuckler.
Personal Life
Nicolas Cage has been divorced twice and is currently married to Alice Kim, whom he married in 2004 when she was 20 years old.[2] They have a son together. Cage also has a son from a previous relationship.[3] In 2007, Cage and his son Weston Cage debuted a comic book entitled "Voodoo Child".[5]
Awards and Accomplishments
- 1995 Golden Globe "Winner - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama" for "Leaving Las Vegas"
- 1996 Academy Award Winner Best Actor in a Lead Role "Leaving Las Vegas" [4]
Trivia
- Nicolas Cage was originally Nicolas Coppola, but changed his name after being made fun of by castmates in 1983's Rumble Fish. He chose the name Cage in honor of comic superhero Luke Cage.[6]
- Cage early in his career was well know for being an extreme "Method Actor". He even ate a cockroach using the "Method" for 1989's "Vampire's Kiss".
- Cage was married to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie for three months in 2002.[7]
