Nicolas Cage is an American actor and producer who began his acting career in 1981 with a role in the television pilot '' The Best of Times''. The following year, Cage made his feature film acting debut in '' Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', the second and last time he was credited by his birth name Nicolas Coppola; he later changed his name professionally to avoid allegations of

nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, and ...

due to his connection to the Coppola family. In 1983, Cage starred in a leading role in the teen romantic comedy '' Valley Girl'' alongside Deborah Foreman; the film was praised by critics and summarized by

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as a "goofy yet amiable film" with "engaging performances from its two leads." In 1984, Cage portrayed a fictionalized version of Irish-American mob hitman Mad Dog Coll ("Vincent Dwyer") in '' The Cotton Club'' and appeared in '' Birdy'', a feature chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of that year. In 1986, he starred as

Ned Hanlan Edward Hanlan (12 July 1855 – 4 January 1908) was a Canadian professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario. Early life Hanlan was born to Irish parents; one of two sons and two daughters. His mother was Mary Gibbs, his fath ...

in '' The Boy in Blue'' and Charlie Bodell in '' Peggy Sue Got Married'' before leading the crime comedy '' Raising Arizona'' (1987), written and directed by the

Coen brothers Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...

. In 1988, he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in '' Moonstruck''. In 1989, he appeared in the black comedy film ''

Vampire's Kiss ''Vampire's Kiss'' is a 1988 American black comedy horror film directed by Robert Bierman and written by Joseph Minion. Starring Nicolas Cage, María Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, and Elizabeth Ashley, the film tells the story of a liter ...

'', a

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that later gained a

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; ''

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'' described it as being "dominated and destroyed by Mr. Cage's chaotic, self-indulgent performance". In 1992, Cage earned his second Golden Globe nomination for '' Honeymoon in Vegas''. Three years later, he starred as a suicidal alcoholic in the critically acclaimed '' Leaving Las Vegas''. For his performance, he received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He also earned the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

for

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. In 2002, he made his directorial debut with ''

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'' and portrayed filmmaker Charlie Kaufman in '' Adaptation'', another critically acclaimed film that earned him his most recent Best Actor nominations from the Academy Awards, BAFTA, and Golden Globes. Since then, Cage has had roles in a number of action and drama films, some of which were straight-to-video. His participation in various film genres during this time increased his popularity and gained him a cult following. ''

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'' writes, "In Cage's hands, cartoonish moments are imbued with real emotion and real emotions become cartoons. He is erratic and unpredictable; he is captivating and he is capricious. He is a performer. He is a troubadour. He is a jazz musician." In 2013, he voiced Grug in the animated film '' The Croods'', his highest-grossing film. His additional voice roles include Superman in '' Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'' and Spider-Man Noir in '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' (both 2018). Cage has also starred in several critically acclaimed films, including '' Mandy'' (2018), '' Color Out of Space'' (2019), and '' Pig'' (2021).

Film

Television

References

External links