nicolas cage biography

Birth Name

Nicholas Kim Coppola

Nickname

Nick

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

The son of comparative literature professor August Coppola (a brother of director Francis Ford Coppola) and dancer/choreographer Joy Vogelsang, Cage changed his name early in his career to make his own reputation, succeeding brilliantly with a host of classic, quirky roles by the late 1980s.

Initially studying theatre at Beverly Hills High (though he dropped out at 17), he secured a bit part in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) -- most of which was cut, dashing his hopes and leading to a job selling popcorn at the Fairfax Theater, thinking that would be the only route to a movie career. But a job reading lines with auditioners for uncle Francis' Rumble Fish (1983) landed him a role in that film, followed by the punk-rocker in Valley Girl (1983), which was released first and truly launched his career.

His one-time passion for method acting reached a personal limit when he smashed a street-vendor's remote-control car to achieve the sense of rage needed for his gangster character in The Cotton Club (1984).

In his early 20s, he dated Jenny Wright for two years and later linked to Uma Thurman. After a relationship of several years with Christina Fulton, a model, they split amicably and share custody of a son, Weston Coppola Cage (b.1992).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Dan Hartung

Spouse

Alice Kim Cage	(30 July 2004 - present) 1 child
Lisa Marie Presley	(10 August 2002 - 26 May 2004) (divorced)
Patricia Arquette	(8 April 1995 - 18 May 2001) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Often plays flamboyant and/or eccentric characters (Ronny Cammareri in Moonstruck (1987), Sailor Ripley in Wild at Heart (1990), Ben Sanderson in Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Charlie Kaufman / Donald Kaufman in Adaptation. (2002)).

Trivia

Half German, half Italian.

2000: Filed divorce papers in February, withdrew them in April.

October 1997: Ranked #40 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Was engaged to Kristen Zang.

Nephew of Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire.

Got Johnny Depp his first acting job.

Close friend of Tom Waits, Crispin Glover and Rush drummer Neil Peart.

Stage name taken from comic book character Luke Cage.

Owns a Lamborghini that used to belong to Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi, the former Shah of Iran.

Brother of Marc Coppola and Christopher Coppola.