Dropping out of high school to pursue an acting career was almost a disaster for Nicolas Cage, who faced many challenges and even had to sell popcorn at the Fairfax Theater before he worked his way into the spotlight.
Born as Nicolas Kim Coppola, Cage decided to change to his current nickname so as not to speculate that his milestones in Hollywood were achieved through the influence of his famous uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola.
Nicolas Cage Wiki, Bio, Family
The award-winning actor was born on January 7, 1964, in Long Beach, California, the son of literature professor August Coppola and dancer and choreographer Joy Vogelsang. While his father was of Italian descent, his mother was of German and Polish descent. Cage, who grew up in a Catholic home, was surrounded by entertainers including director Francis Ford Coppola (uncle), actress Talia Shire (aunt) and brothers – New York radio host Marc “The Cope” Coppola and director Christopher Coppola. He also has cousins; the directors Roman Coppola, Sofia Coppola, film producer Gian-Carlo Coppola, actors Robert Carmine and Jason Schwartzman.
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Cage attended Beverly Hills High School and the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, as his desire to become an actor began at a very young age. The American actor James Dean received the recognition as the most important inspiration for Cage’s acting career. He decided that he wanted to act after seeing Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden. After that Cage started to follow his passion and tried to convince his uncle Francis Ford Coppola to give him the opportunity to show his talent. He was fifteen years old at the time. He made his film debut with a supporting role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), opposite Judge Reinhold and Sean Penn.
His career flourished and Cage appeared in a wide variety of films, both mainstream and offbeat. He appeared in films such as Raising Arizona, Moonstruck, Con Air and Leaving Las Vegas. The latter earned him awards such as the Oscar, the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Award, which paved the way for him and earned him further prominent roles in other notable films such as The Rock (1996), Face/Off (1997), City of Angels (1998) and National Treasure (2004).
After his appearances in The Weather Man (2005), Lord of War (2005) and The Bad Lieutenant, he received further awards: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) and Kick-Ass (2010). Cage is best known for his role in the box office hits of the Ghost Rider series (2007) and (2009).
Today, without lurking in the shadow of his successful uncle’s name, Nicolas Cage is, without doubt, one of the most famous actors in Hollywood and the world. His versatility and the discovery of a new acting technique called “Method Acting” have also made him one of the most talented actors in Hollywood.
Net Worth and Height
After more than three decades in the industry with several blockbusters under his belt, there is no doubt that Cage has made a fortune. Between 1996 and 2011, he earned over $150 million with his acting career. Some of his highest-grossing films are Gone in Sixty Seconds ($20 million), National Treasure ($20 million), Snake Eyes ($16 million) and Windtalkers ($20 million). He also created the Forbes list of the highest-paid actors of all time.
Recently, Cage’s wild spending and tax liens by the IRS have put a strain on his assets, for which his managers have been blamed. Nevertheless, his net worth as of March 2017 is $25 million.
Cage is also known for its high frame with the massive height of 1.83 meters.
Nicholas Cage’s Wife and Son
The Hollywood icon has been married three times. His first marriage was to actress Patricia Arquette in 1995; the second was a rather short marriage to Lisa-Marie Presley, the only daughter of Elvis, the late King of Rock and Roll in August 2002. In August 2004, Cage married his 20-year-old girlfriend Alice Kim on a private ranch in Northern California. Cage and Kim welcomed a son, Kal-el Coppola Cage, on October 3, 2005.
Cage also has another son, Weston Coppola Cage, who was born in 1990 to a former girlfriend, actress Christina Fulton.
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Is Nicolas Cage Dead?
In July 2016 the Hollywood star Nicolas Cage died like most of his colleagues on the Internet. The malicious rumor spread after news that the actor had died in a motorcycle accident spread widely on Facebook.
However, it was later confirmed that the actor was neither involved in a motorcycle accident nor died in an accident. Apparently the report is one of those scams that try to trick visitors into paying fees for rogue antivirus scanners or revealing their personal information.