Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Nicolas Cage
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Nicolas Cage made an impact.
Nicolas Cage, born Nicolas Kim Coppola, is a celebrated American actor and producer renowned for his versatility. He has garnered critical acclaim, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award, along with multiple BAFTA nominations. Cage's diverse filmography spans various genres, contributing to his widespread appeal and cult following.
1981: Acting Debut
In 1981, Nicolas Cage made his acting debut in the television pilot 'The Best of Times', which was ultimately not picked up by ABC.
1982: Film Debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
In 1982, Nicolas Cage made his film debut with a minor role in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'. He originally auditioned for Judge Reinhold's part, but got a different role. The experience of being constantly reminded of his uncle's films motivated him to change his name.
1983: First Starring Role in Valley Girl
In 1983, Nicolas Cage landed his first starring role opposite Deborah Foreman in the romantic comedy 'Valley Girl', where he played a punk who falls in love with a valley girl. The film was loosely based on Romeo and Juliet and became a cult classic.
1984: Period Films in 1984
In 1984, Nicolas Cage appeared in three period films: 'Racing with the Moon' opposite Sean Penn, 'The Cotton Club' where he portrayed Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll, and Alan Parker's 'Birdy', where he lost weight and had teeth pulled for the role. While the films underperformed at the box office, Cage's performances generally received positive reviews.
1986: Roles in The Boy in Blue and Peggy Sue Got Married
In 1986, Nicolas Cage starred in 'The Boy in Blue', a Canadian sports drama, and Francis Ford Coppola's 'Peggy Sue Got Married' as the husband of Kathleen Turner's character.
1987: Breakthrough roles in Raising Arizona and Moonstruck
In 1987, Nicolas Cage starred in the Coen brothers' 'Raising Arizona' and the romantic comedy 'Moonstruck' alongside Cher. 'Moonstruck' was a critical and audience hit, earning Cage a Golden Globe nomination.
1989: Starring role in Vampire's Kiss and Time to Kill
In 1989, Nicolas Cage starred in the black comedy 'Vampire's Kiss' as a man who believes he is turning into a vampire. He also filmed the Italian drama 'Time to Kill' in Zimbabwe.
1990: Starring in Fire Birds
In 1990, Nicolas Cage starred as a helicopter pilot in the action film 'Fire Birds', which received negative reviews and comparisons to 'Top Gun'.
1991: Publication of Larry Brown's novel Joe
In 1991, Larry Brown's novel 'Joe' was published. The novel later inspired the 2013 film 'Joe' starring Nicolas Cage.
1991: Zandalee Release
In 1991, Nicolas Cage's film 'Zandalee' was released direct-to-video in the United States, bypassing a theatrical release.
1992: Honeymoon in Vegas and Saturday Night Live Hosting
In 1992, Nicolas Cage starred in 'Honeymoon in Vegas', which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He also hosted 'Saturday Night Live' to promote the film.
1993: Box Office Failures
In 1993, Nicolas Cage starred in 'Deadfall', 'Amos & Andrew', and 'Red Rock West', all of which performed poorly at the box office.
1994: Guarding Tess, It Could Happen to You, and Trapped in Paradise
In 1994, Nicolas Cage starred in 'Guarding Tess' with Shirley MacLaine, 'It Could Happen to You' with Bridget Fonda, and 'Trapped in Paradise' with Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey. 'Trapped in Paradise' was a box office flop.
1995: Academy Award for Leaving Las Vegas
In 1995, Nicolas Cage won the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in 'Leaving Las Vegas'.
1996: Starring in The Rock
In 1996, Nicolas Cage starred in Michael Bay's 'The Rock' with Sean Connery and Ed Harris, playing an FBI chemical weapons specialist. This marked the beginning of a series of action films for Cage.
1996: The Island of Dr. Moreau
In 1996, Richard Stanley was fired from directing The Island of Dr. Moreau.
June 1997: Release of Con Air and Face/Off
In June 1997, Nicolas Cage starred in two commercially successful action thrillers, 'Con Air' and 'Face/Off'. In 'Face/Off', he starred with John Travolta, switching roles throughout the movie. In Con Air, he made the 'wrong choice' of playing Cameron Poe.
1998: Starring in City of Angels and Snake Eyes
In 1998, Nicolas Cage starred in the romantic fantasy film 'City of Angels' and the thriller 'Snake Eyes'.
1999: Bringing Out the Dead
In 1999, Nicolas Cage starred in Martin Scorsese's New York City paramedic drama 'Bringing Out the Dead'.
2001: Captain Corelli's Mandolin
In 2001, Nicolas Cage took the lead role in the film 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' and learned to play the mandolin for the part.
2001: Saturn Films Based at Intermedia
In 2001, Saturn Films, associated with Nicolas Cage, was identified as being "Intermedia-based", suggesting it was part of Intermedia.
2002: Adaptation Nomination and Sonny Directorial Debut
In 2002, Nicolas Cage was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for his portrayal of Charlie Kaufman in 'Adaptation'. He also made his directorial debut with 'Sonny'.
2002: Auction of Vintage Comic Book Collection
In 2002, Nicolas Cage, a comic book enthusiast, auctioned off his collection of 400 vintage comics through Heritage Auctions for over $1.6 million.
2003: Matchstick Men
In 2003, Nicolas Cage starred in Ridley Scott's black comedy crime film 'Matchstick Men', playing a con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
2005: Lord of War and The Weather Man releases
In 2005, Nicolas Cage headlined in 'Lord of War' and 'The Weather Man'. Despite good reviews for his performances, neither film found a significant audience.
December 2006: Plans to Curtail Acting
In early December 2006, Nicolas Cage announced at the Bahamas International Film Festival his intentions to reduce future acting roles to pursue other interests.
2006: Intermedia Defunct
By 2006, Intermedia, which had been associated with Saturn Films, was defunct.
March 25, 2007: Ghost Rider Box Office Success
As of the weekend ending on March 25, 2007, 'Ghost Rider', based on the Marvel Comics character, earned over $208 million worldwide.
November 2007: Research for The Wrestler
In November 2007, Nicolas Cage researched for a lead role in 'The Wrestler' at a Ring of Honor wrestling show, but later dropped out due to insufficient preparation time, Darren Aronofsky preferred Mickey Rourke for the role.
2007: Creation of Comic Book Voodoo Child
In 2007, Nicolas Cage, along with his son Weston, created a comic book called Voodoo Child, which was published by Virgin Comics.
2008: Appears in Bangkok Dangerous
In 2008, Nicolas Cage starred in 'Bangkok Dangerous' as Joe, a contract killer undergoing a change of heart during a work outing in Bangkok.
2009: Sale of Schloss Neidstein and High Earnings
In 2009, Nicolas Cage sold his medieval castle, Schloss Neidstein in Germany, for $2.5 million. That same year, he reportedly earned $40 million, making him one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors according to Forbes.
2009: Stars in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
In 2009, Nicolas Cage starred in 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans' as a corrupt police officer. His performance was highly praised.
2009: Stars in Knowing
In 2009, Nicolas Cage starred in the science fiction thriller 'Knowing', playing an MIT professor who discovers startling predictions in a time capsule.
2009: Appointed UN Ambassador for Global Justice
In 2009, Nicolas Cage was appointed as a UN ambassador for Global Justice, recognizing his humanitarian efforts.
2009: Norm Golightly Ends Presidency at Saturn Films
In 2009, Norm Golightly's twelve-year tenure as president of Saturn Films, Nicolas Cage's production company, came to an end.
2010: Stars in The Sorcerer's Apprentice
In 2010, Nicolas Cage starred in 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice', playing the sorcerer.
2011: Stars in Season of the Witch and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
In 2011, Nicolas Cage headlined 'Season of the Witch' and reprised his role in 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance'.
August 30, 2013: Joe Film Premieres at the 70th Venice International Film Festival
On August 30, 2013, Nicolas Cage's film 'Joe' premiered at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. The film was critically acclaimed, with praise for Cage's performance and Green's direction.
2013: Confirmed to Reprise Role in The Croods: A New Age
In 2013, Nicolas Cage was confirmed to reprise his role as Grug in 'The Croods: A New Age', which was released in 2020.
2013: Re-appointed UN Ambassador for Global Justice
In 2013, Nicolas Cage was re-appointed as a UN ambassador for Global Justice, continuing his role in promoting awareness and action on global justice issues.
2014: Absence from Forbes' Top 10 List
In 2014, despite previously being one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, Nicolas Cage did not make Forbes' Top 10 List.
May 20, 2016: Dog Eat Dog Premiere at Cannes Film Festival
On May 20, 2016, 'Dog Eat Dog', starring Nicolas Cage, premiered as the closing entry for the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
November 4, 2016: Dog Eat Dog Released in the United States
On November 4, 2016, 'Dog Eat Dog', starring Nicolas Cage, was released in the United States. The film received positive reviews.
May 2017: Reported Film Role Rush to Pay Off Debts
By May 2017, Nicolas Cage, worth around $25 million, was reportedly taking numerous film roles to pay off his remaining debts.
2017: Mom and Dad Premieres at Toronto International Film Festival
In 2017, Nicolas Cage's film 'Mom and Dad' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section.
January 19, 2018: Mom and Dad Released in Theaters
On January 19, 2018, the film 'Mom and Dad', starring Nicolas Cage, was released in theaters and received positive reviews.
December 2018: Signs on to star in Color Out of Space
In December 2018, it was announced that Nicolas Cage would star in Richard Stanley's 'Color Out of Space', based on H. P. Lovecraft's short story.
December 2018: Stars in Prisoners of the Ghostland
In December 2018, it was announced that Nicolas Cage would star in Sion Sono's 'Prisoners of the Ghostland'.
2018: Stars in Mandy, premiers at Sundance Film Festival
In 2018, Nicolas Cage starred in the action thriller film 'Mandy', which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was disqualified for an Oscar campaign due to being released on Video On Demand.
2018: Voices Superman and Spider-Man Noir
In 2018, Nicolas Cage voiced Clark Kent / Superman in 'Teen Titans Go! To the Movies' and voiced Spider-Man Noir in 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'.
January 28, 2019: Narrates Love, Antosha Documentary
On January 28, 2019, Nicolas Cage narrated the documentary 'Love, Antosha' about Anton Yelchin, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
September 7, 2019: Color Out of Space Premieres
On September 7, 2019, 'Color Out of Space' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Nicolas Cage received the Creative Coalition's Spotlight Initiative Award.
January 24, 2020: Color Out of Space Released in the United States
On January 24, 2020, 'Color Out of Space' was released in 81 theaters in the United States.
May 2020: Cast as Joe Exotic in Tiger King Series
In May 2020, Nicolas Cage was announced to play Joe Exotic in a scripted 'Tiger King' series.
2020: Endorsement of Andrew Yang for President
During the 2020 election, Nicolas Cage endorsed Andrew Yang for president.
January 31, 2021: Prisoners of the Ghostland Premieres at Sundance Film Festival
On January 31, 2021, 'Prisoners of the Ghostland' premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
July 2021: Tiger King Series Scrapped
In July 2021, the 'Tiger King' series starring Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic was scrapped.
2021: Stars in and Produces Pig
In 2021, Nicolas Cage produced and starred in the film 'Pig', where he plays Robin "Rob" Feld, a former chef turned truffle-forager. Cage received critical acclaim for his performance.
2022: Cage Confirms Debt Payoff and Selectivity in Film Roles
By 2022, Nicolas Cage confirmed that he had successfully paid off his debts and intended to be more selective with his film roles moving forward.
2022: Stars in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
In 2022, Nicolas Cage gained further acclaim for portraying a fictionalized version of himself in the action comedy film 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent'.
2023: Portrays Dracula in Renfield and included in Dead by Daylight
In 2023, Nicolas Cage portrayed Dracula in the horror comedy film 'Renfield'. Also in 2023, Cage was included as a playable character in the horror video game 'Dead by Daylight'.
2023: Stars in Dream Scenario
In 2023, Nicolas Cage starred in 'Dream Scenario', resulting in his fifth Golden Globe nomination.
2023: Donation to Channel Seven Perth Telethon
In 2023, while filming The Surfer in Western Australia, Nicolas Cage personally donated AU$5,000 to the Channel Seven Perth Telethon.
2023: Set to Play Spider-Man Noir on Amazon Prime Video
In early 2023, it was announced Nicolas Cage was set to play a live action version of Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir on Amazon Prime Video.
July 2024: Spider-Noir Confirmed and Stars in Longlegs
In July 2024, the Spider-Man Noir show was confirmed to be titled 'Spider-Noir'. Also in July, Cage starred as the titular serial killer in the horror thriller film 'Longlegs', which he produced.
September 2024: Filming Begins for Spider-Noir
In September 2024, filming began in Los Angeles for the Spider-Man Noir show.
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