Who is Nicolas Kim Coppola, [1] The world know hims as Nicolas Cage, he is an American actor, known for collaborating many times with film producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Cage pursued acting as a career, making his debut on television in 1981. Cage has featured in numerous "bad boy" roles, and has won numerous awards, beginning in 1989 with his Independent Spirit Award, an Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role in Leaving Las Vegas, and his most recent Toronto Film Critics Association Award in 2002.
Cage has appeared in over 60 films including Face/Off (1997), Ghost Rider (2007), and National Treasure (2004). Cage has married three times, once to Patricia Arquette, then to Lisa Marie Presley, and most recently to his current wife Alice Kim Cage.
Cage was born January 7, 1964 in Long Beach, California. His father, August Coppola, is a professor of literature, while Cage's mother, Joy Vogelsang, is a dancer and choreographer; Cage's parents divorced in 1976.[2][3] Cage's mother is of German descent and his father is of Italian descent (his paternal great-grandparents were immigrants from Bernalda, Basilicata).[4] His paternal grandparents were Carmine Coppola, a composer, and Italia Pennino, an actress. Through his father, Cage is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, as well as the cousin of directors Roman Coppola and Sofia Coppola, late film producer Gian-Carlo Coppola, and actors Robert Carmine and Jason Schwartzman. Cage's two brothers are Christopher Coppola, a director; and Marc "The Cope" Coppola, a New York radio personality.[5] Cage, who attended Beverly Hills High School (the same high school as fellow entertainers Albert Brooks, Angelina Jolie, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Rob Reiner, Richard Dreyfuss, Bonnie Franklin and David Schwimmer), aspired to act from an early age. Cage also attended UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television. His first non-cinematic acting experience was in a school production of Golden Boy. He is also good friends with fellow actor Johnny Depp, whom he advised to get into acting.
In order to avoid the appearance of nepotism as the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola,
he changed his name from Nicolas Coppola to Nicolas Cage early in his career.[6] Since his cameo role in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, with Sean Penn, Cage has appeared in a wide range of films, both mainstream and offbeat. He tried out for the role of Dallas Winston in his uncle's film The Outsiders, based on S.E. Hinton's novel, but lost to Matt Dillon. He was also in Coppola's films Rumble Fish and Peggy Sue Got Married.
Other Cage roles included appearances in the acclaimed 1987 romantic-comedy Moonstruck, also starring Cher; 
The Coen Brothers cult-classic comedy Raising Arizona; David Lynch's
1990 offbeat film Wild at Heart; a lead role in Martin Scorsese's
1999 New York City paramedic drama Bringing Out the Dead; and Ridley Scott's
2003 quirky drama Matchstick Men, in which he played an agoraphobic, mysophobic, obsessive-compulsive con artist with a tic disorder.
Cage has been nominated twice for an Academy Award, winning once for his performance as a suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas. His other nomination was for his portrayal of real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman 
and Kaufman's fictional twin Donald in Adaptation. Despite these successes, most of his lower-profile films have performed poorly at the box office compared to his mainstream action/adventure roles. The suspense thriller 8mm (1999) was not a box office success, but is now considered a cult film. He took the lead role in the 2001 film Captain Corelli's Mandolin and learned to play the mandolin from scratch for the part. In 2005, two offbeat films he headlined, Lord of War and The Weather Man, failed to find a significant audience despite nationwide releases and good reviews for his acting in those roles. Poor reviews for The Wicker Man resulted in low box office sales. The much criticized Ghost Rider (2007), based on the Marvel Comics character, was a significant hit, earning more than $45 million (the top earner) during its opening weekend and over $208 million worldwide through the weekend ending on March 25, 2007. Also in 2007, he starred in Next, which shares the concept of a glimpse into an alternate timeline with The Family Man (2000).
Most of Cage's movies that have achieved financial success were in the action/adventure genre. In his second-highest grossing film to date, National Treasure, he plays an eccentric historian who goes on a dangerous adventure to find treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers of the United States. Other action hits include The Rock, in which Cage plays a young FBI chemical weapons expert who infiltrates Alcatraz Island in hopes of neutralizing a terrorist threat, Face/Off, a John Woo
film where he plays both a hero and a villain, and World Trade Center, director Oliver Stone's 
film regarding the September 11, 2001 attacks. He had a small but notable role as the Chinese criminal mastermind Dr. Fu Manchu in Rob Zombie's
fake trailer Werewolf Women of the S.S.from the B-movie double feature Grindhouse.
In recent years, Cage made his directorial debut with Sonny, a low-budget drama starring James Franco 
as a male prostitute whose mother (Brenda Blethyn) 
serves as his pimp.[7] Cage had a small role in the grim film, which received poor reviews and a short run in a limited number of theatres. Cage's producing career includes Shadow of the Vampire, the first film from Saturn Films.
In early December 2006, Cage announced at the Bahamas International Film Festival that he planned to curtail his future acting endeavors in order to pursue other interests. On the The Dresden Files for the Sci-Fi Channel, Cage is listed as the executive producer. Cage said:
| “ | I feel I've made a lot of movies already and I want to start exploring other opportunities that I can apply myself to, whether it's writing or other interests that I may develop.[8] | ” |
In November 2007, Cage was spotted backstage at a Ring of Honor wrestling show in New York City researching his role for the The Wrestler. Ultimately, Nicolas Cage was replaced in "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke,
in a role that has earned a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for Rourke.[9] Wrestler Director Darren Aronofsky,
in an interview with slashfilm.com, said of Cage's replacement that:
| “ | Nic was a complete gentleman, and he understood that my heart was with Mickey and he stepped aside. I have so much respect for Nic Cage as an actor and I think it really could have worked with Nic but ... you know, Nic was incredibly supportive of Mickey and he is old friends with Mickey and really wanted to help with this opportunity, so he pulled himself out of the race.[10] | ” |
In 2008, Cage appeared as Joe, a contract killer who undergoes a change of heart while on a work outing in Bangkok, in the film Bangkok Dangerous.The film is shot by the Pang Brothers 
and has a distinct South-East Asian flavor.
In 2009, Cage starred in sci-fi thriller Knowing, directed by Alex Proyas.
In the film, he plays an MIT professor who examines the contents of a time capsule unearthed at his son's elementary school. Startling predictions found inside the capsule that have already come true lead him to believe the world is going to end at the close of the week, and that he and his son are somehow involved in the destruction. The film received mainly negative reviews but was the box office winner on its opening weekend.
Cage will appear in the film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans directed by acclaimed German director Werner Herzog 
and will portray a corrupt police officer with gambling, drug and alcohol addictions. This film will also reunite Cage with Eva Mendes, 
who played his love interest in "Ghost Rider."
Cage will also star in the period piece Season of the Witch, playing a 14th-century knight transporting a girl accused of causing the Black Plague to a monastery, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, in which he will play the sorcerer.[11]
He will star in National Treasure 3, which has a possible release date as early as 2011. He would again take the role of Benjamin Gates, a cryptologist-turned-treasure hunter.[12]
The acting work of Cage has been praised by influential film critic Roger Ebert 
who writes, in his "Great Movies" essay about the film Adaptation., that:
| “ | There are often lists of the great living male movie stars: De Niro, Nicholson  and Pacino,  usually. How often do you see the name of Nicolas Cage? He should always be up there. He's daring and fearless in his choice of roles, and unafraid to crawl out on a limb, saw it off and remain suspended in air. No one else can project inner trembling so effectively.... He always seems so earnest. However improbable his character, he never winks at the audience. He is committed to the character with every atom and plays him as if he were him.[13] | ” |
Roger Ebert, in response to mixed reviews of Knowing and their focus on criticizing Cage, wrote an article in which he defends both Cage as an actor and the movie which, in stark contrast to other critics, Ebert gave 4/4 stars.[14]
Despite such praise, Cage has his detractors. Cage is often criticized for choosing to star in thrillers and/or big-budget action-adventure movies. Many[who?] feel that, in recent years, he has abandoned altogether any desire to star in smaller character-driven dramas, the type of film that initially garnered him praise. Entertainment Weekly critic Owen Gleiberman 
wrote an article in March 2009, after the debut of Knowing[15] accusing Cage of such "selling out" In the article, titled "Nicolas Cage: Artist or hack? The choice is his", Gleiberman calls Cage out to return to dramas as opposed to high-paying blockbusters.
for two years, and was later involved with actress Uma Thurman.
In 1988, Cage began dating Christina Fulton, 
mother of their son, Weston Coppola Cage 
(born December 26, 1990). Weston appeared in Cage's film Lord of War as Vladimir, a young Ukrainian mechanic who quickly disarms a Mil Mi-24 helicopter. 
Cage has been married three times. His first wife was the actress Patricia Arquette (married on April 8, 1995 – divorce finalized on May 18, 2001).
Cage's second wife was singer/songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, of whom Cage is a fan and on whom he based his performance in Wild at Heart. They married on August 10, 2002 and filed for divorce on November 25, 2002, after 108 days of marriage; their divorce was finalized on May 16, 2004. The divorce proceeding was longer than the marriage.[16]
His third and current wife Alice Kim, a former waitress who previously worked at the Los Angeles restaurant Kabuki, met Cage at the Los Angeles-based Korean nightclub, Le Privé. She is the mother of his son, Kal-El (born October 3, 2005), named after Superman's birth name. Cage was once considered for the role of Superman in a film to be directed by Tim Burton. 
Alice had a minor role in the 2007 movie Next, which Cage produced. They were married at a private ranch in Northern California on July 30, 2004.
Cage had a Malibu home where he and Alice lived, but in 2004 he bought a property on Paradise Island, Bahamas. In 2005, he sold his Malibu home for $10 million. In May 2006, he bought a 40-acre (160,000 m2) island in the Exuma archipelago, some 85 miles (137 km) southeast of Nassau and close to a similar island owned by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.[17] 
He used to own the medieval castle of Schloss Neidstein in the Oberpfalz region in Germany, which he bought in 2006 and sold in 2009 for $2.5 million.[18] His grandmother was German, living in Cochem an der Mosel.[19]
In August 2007, Cage purchased a home in Middletown, Rhode Island. The 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2), brick-and-stone country manor occupies 26 acres, has 12 bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms, and ocean views and borders the Norman Bird Sanctuary. The estate is called the "Grey Craig". The sale ranks among the state’s most expensive residential purchases, eclipsed by the $17.15 million sale last December of the Miramar mansion on Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Also in 2007, the actor purchased Midford Castle in Somerset, England.[20][21][22][23]
According to Cage, he owns the "Most Haunted House in America", a home located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.[24] The home is known as the "The LaLaurie house" after its former owner Delphine LaLaurie.
Shortly after selling his German castle, Cage also put homes in Rhode Island, Lousiana, Nevada, and California, as well as a $7 million island in the Bahamas, up for sale.[25]
On July 14, 2009, the Internal Revenue Service filed documents in New Orleans in connection with a federal tax lien against property owned by Cage in Louisiana, concerning unpaid federal taxes. The IRS alleges that Cage failed to pay over $6.2 million in federal income tax for the year 2007.[26]
Nicolas was director Sam Raimi's 
first choice to play Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in the movie Spider-Man. He has created a comic book, with his son Weston, called Voodoo Child, 
which is published by Virgin Comics.
Cage was close friends with Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone.
His enthusiam of classic cars is well known; in 1997 via telephone bid, he broke the auction record for Lamborghinis when he placed a bid on a rare Miura SVJ for US$490,000.[27] He has also been a fan and collector of Robert Williams. He has written introductions for Juxtapoz
magazine and purchased the painting Death On The Boards.[28]
In 1987 Cube and Dr. Dre released the EP My Posse, under the alias CIA and the county police. After the collaboration, Cube showed Eazy-E the lyrics to "Boyz-n-the-Hood". Eazy-E, although initially rejecting the lyrics, eventually recorded the song for N.W.A. and the Posse, the debut album for the group N.W.A (short for Niggaz With Attitude) that included him, Cube, Dre, and other rappers MC Ren and DJ Yella.
after Heller responded to the group's financial questions by drafting up a new arrangement. As he explains in his book:
His 1991 follow-up, Death Certificate was regarded as more focused, yet even more controversial, and critics accused him again of being anti-white, misogynist, and antisemitic. The album is thematically divided into the 'Death Side' ("a vision of where we are today") and the 'Life Side' ("a vision of where we need to go"). It features "No Vaseline," a scathing response to N.W.A's attacks and "Black Korea," a track regarded by some as prophetic of the L.A. riots, but also interpreted as racist by many; it was still being cited years after its release.Cube toured with Lollapalooza in 1992, which widened his fan base.
In 1995, Ice Cube had reunited with former N.W.A member Dr. Dre, who was now part of Death Row Records, in their duet "Natural Born Killaz". In 1998, Cube released his long-awaited solo album, War & Peace Volume 1. The delayed second part, War & Peace Volume 2, was released in 2000. The albums featured appearances from Westside Connection as well as a reunion with fellow N.W.A members, Dr. Dre and MC Ren, though many fans maintained that the two albums weren't on par with his past work, especially the second volume. In 2000, Cube also joined Dr. Dre, Eminem & Snoop Dogg on the Up In Smoke Tour.
In 1994, Cube formed Westside Connection with Mack 10 and WC, and together they released an album called Bow Down. Most of the album was used to engage in the war of words between the East and West Coasts of the 90s. The album's eponymous single reached number twenty-one on the singles charts, and the album itself was certified Platinum by the end of 1996. With Bow Down, Westside Connection brought their own agenda to the hip hop scene. Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC had grown tired of being overlooked by most East Coast media outlets; the album was designed to instill a sense of pride in West Coast rap fans and to start a larger movement that anyone who felt underappreciated might identify with. Songs like "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make the World Go 'Round" make reference to this. Cube would also eventually make amends with Eazy-E shortly before the latter's death in 1995. After a seven-year hiatus, Westside Connection returned with their second effort Terrorist 
Following his role as 'Doughboy' in Boyz n the Hood, in 1992 he starred alongside Ice-T, and Bill Paxton 
in Walter Hill's
action film, Trespass, and then in The Glass Shield.
Friday became a hit, earning $28 million worldwide on a $3.5 million budget.
Higher Learning, as world-weary university student, "Fudge"; a role for which he earned award nominations.
radio show and stated that he was interested in bringing back Chris Tucker as Smokey in a possible Friday sequel, but that was only possible if "New Line cuts the check." In an interview with BlackFilm.com, Ice Cube stated that he would be interested in involving all major characters from the Friday franchise in a possible sequel, but added "I know I'm not going to get Chris [Tucker] back, but I'd love to get everybody else back."
have paired up to pitch a one-hour special to ABC based on James' life.
In 2004, his hit singles "Check Yo Self", "It Was a Good Day" and affiliated song "Guerrillas in tha Mist" with Da Lench Mob appeared on popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas playing on fictional radio stations.
teamed up to create the six-part documentary series titled Black. White., which was broadcast on cable network FX. In May 2006 Ice Cube accused Oprah Winfrey of not welcoming rappers on her show, and specifically, for not inviting him to the show when the rest of the cast of films that he participated in were invited. Cube's other movie projects include Teacher of the Year, released in 2007, and The Extractors, released in 2008. Cube has also completed Are We Done Yet? the sequel to 2005's successful Are We There Yet?
He has also signed on to star in and produce Welcome Back, Kotter, a big screen adaptation of the 1970s television series. Cube will play the title character, who was originally portrayed by Gabe Kaplan. Cube’s film company, Cube Vision Productions, has sealed a deal with Dimension Films to bring the show to the big screen.
to provide some perspective on the relationship between his work and his family. When asked whether or not he allowed his children to listen to his music, he responded: "What's worked for me is instilling in my kids a level of self-respect," helping them to understand the content of not just music but the violence found on the evening news. When asked what he tells his children about profanity, he recalled telling his kids that there are "appropriate times to use any kind of language.... Adults should never hear you use these words. If you want to use these words around your friends, that's really on you."
After launching his new come-back album Laugh Now, Cry Later, Ice Cube has been touring across the world to promote the new album. The tour is known as "Straight Outta Compton Tour", and accompanying him along the way is his fellow friend and rapper WC from the Westside Connection. Some places he has recently performed include the Paradiso in Amsterdam, and in various venues in England. After touring all over the U.S. and Europe, his next destination was the Far East, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan. He performed all around Australia with his vintage no-holds barred West Coast style, from Sydney's Enmore Theatre, to The Forum Arena in Melbourne. After Australia, he headed to Japan.
Ice Cube released his eighth studio LP, titled Raw Footage, on August 19, 2008. It featured the street single Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It and Do Ya Thang. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and Top Rap Albums Chart, and at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. {{Fact|date=January 2009
left N.W.A and Ruthless Records, he and Cube fostered a brief reunion. They planned a new project together, Helter Skelter, also to include appearances by MC Ren 
and Snoop Dogg with writing from The D.O.C..
called "You Can't See Me"; the song would later be taken by Suge and used for 2Pac's Death Row debut, which Dre had been neglecting. Dre instead began work on beats for Helter Skelter, bouncing concepts off an increasingly disgruntled D.O.C. who, despite severed vocal cords and Dre's advice, wanted to rap. Eventually he got fed up and moved out of Dre's house to Atlanta, taking his possessions with him - as well as the reels of music - to record his own version of Helter Skelter.[21] With other personal and business commitments by Dre, work on the album trailed off and eventually stopped. Despite the lost project, a few songs remain. Natural Born Killaz, which originally featured Sam Sneed, was the inspiration for the rest of the album. The track "Game Over" found on Scarface's The Untouchable album and from Featuring…Ice Cube was an original cut from the album. Other songs were either unfinished or are unreleased. Many of the lyrics for the album can be heard on the D.O.C.'s spiteful 1996 album, "Helter Skelter".
