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 recognized for his versatility and eclectic film choices. He has garnered critical acclaim, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe, alongside BAFTA nominations. Cage's extensive filmography spans various genres, contributing to his significant cult following and reputation as a unique and compelling performer.
1981: Television Debut
In 1981, Nicolas Cage made his acting debut in the television pilot "The Best of Times".
1982: Fast Times at Ridgemont High
In 1982, Nicolas Cage began his film career with a role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High".
1982: Film Debut
In 1982, Nicolas Cage made his film debut in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High".
1983: Valley Girl, Rumble Fish
In 1983, Nicolas Cage appeared in "Valley Girl" and "Rumble Fish", the latter directed by his uncle Francis Ford Coppola.
1983: Starring Role in Valley Girl
In 1983, Nicolas Cage had his first starring role in the romantic comedy "Valley Girl".
1984: The Cotton Club
In 1984, Nicolas Cage acted in "The Cotton Club", directed by his uncle Francis Ford Coppola.
1984: Racing with the Moon, The Cotton Club, Birdy
In 1984, Nicolas Cage appeared in three period films: "Racing with the Moon", "The Cotton Club", and "Birdy".
1986: Peggy Sue Got Married
In 1986, Nicolas Cage appeared in the film "Peggy Sue Got Married", directed by his uncle Francis Ford Coppola.
1986: The Boy in Blue, Peggy Sue Got Married
In 1986, Nicolas Cage starred in "The Boy in Blue" and "Peggy Sue Got Married".
1986: Top Gun comparison
In 1990, Nicolas Cage starred in the action film "Fire Birds", which was negatively compared to the 1986 film "Top Gun".
1987: Moonstruck, Raising Arizona
In 1987, Nicolas Cage gained critical success for his roles in "Moonstruck" and "Raising Arizona".
1987: Raising Arizona, Moonstruck
In 1987, Nicolas Cage starred in "Raising Arizona" and had his breakthrough role in "Moonstruck", earning a Golden Globe nomination.
1987: Wings of Desire Remake
In 1998, Nicolas Cage starred in the film "City of Angels", which was a loose remake of the 1987 German film "Wings of Desire".
1989: Vampire's Kiss, Time to Kill
In 1989, Nicolas Cage starred in "Vampire's Kiss" and "Time to Kill".
1991: Adaptation from Larry Brown's Novel Joe
In 1991, Larry Brown published the novel "Joe", which later in 2013 was adapted into a film starring Nicolas Cage.
1991: Zandalee Release
In 1991, Nicolas Cage starred in "Zandalee", which was released direct-to-video in the United States.
1992: Honeymoon in Vegas, Saturday Night Live
In 1992, Nicolas Cage starred in "Honeymoon in Vegas", earning a Golden Globe nomination, and hosted Saturday Night Live.
1993: Deadfall, Amos & Andrew, Red Rock West
In 1993, Nicolas Cage starred in "Deadfall", "Amos & Andrew", and "Red Rock West", none of which performed well at the box office.
1994: Guarding Tess, It Could Happen to You, Trapped in Paradise
In 1994, Nicolas Cage starred in "Guarding Tess", "It Could Happen to You", and "Trapped in Paradise".
1995: Kiss of Death, Leaving Las Vegas
In 1995, Nicolas Cage starred in "Kiss of Death" and "Leaving Las Vegas", winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for the latter.
1995: Academy Award for Leaving Las Vegas
In 1995, Nicolas Cage won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the dramatic film "Leaving Las Vegas".
1996: The Rock Release
In 1996, Nicolas Cage starred in "The Rock", marking the beginning of his action film roles.
1996: Island of Dr. Moreau released
In 1996, The Island of Dr. Moreau was released, it was a film where director Richard Stanley was fired from.
June 1997: Con Air, Face/Off
In June 1997, Nicolas Cage starred in two commercially successful action thrillers, "Con Air" and "Face/Off".
1997: Con Air, Face/Off
In 1997, Nicolas Cage starred in the action films "Con Air" and "Face/Off".
1998: City of Angels, Snake Eyes
In 1998, Nicolas Cage starred in "City of Angels" and "Snake Eyes".
1999: Bringing Out the Dead
In 1999, Nicolas Cage appeared in "Bringing Out the Dead".
2000: Gone in 60 Seconds, The Family Man
In 2000, Nicolas Cage appeared in "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "The Family Man".
2000: Saturn Films Production
In 2000, Nicolas Cage's production company, Saturn Films, produced "Shadow of the Vampire".
2000: Alternate timeline in The Family Man
In 2007, Nicolas Cage starred in the film "Next", which shared the concept of a glimpse into an alternate timeline with Cage's 2000 film, "The Family Man".
2001: Captain Corelli's Mandolin
In 2001, Nicolas Cage took the lead role in "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" and learned to play the mandolin for the part.
2002: Adaptation, Sonny
In 2002, Nicolas Cage was nominated for Oscar and Golden Globe awards for "Adaptation" and made his directorial debut with "Sonny".
2002: Oscar Nomination for Adaptation
In 2002, Nicolas Cage was nominated for an Oscar for playing twins Charlie and Donald Kaufman in the film "Adaptation".
2003: The Life of David Gale
In 2003, Nicolas Cage produced "The Life of David Gale".
2003: Matchstick Men
In 2003, Nicolas Cage starred in Ridley Scott's black comedy crime film "Matchstick Men".
2004: National Treasure film series
In 2004, Nicolas Cage starred in the "National Treasure" film series.
2005: Lord of War, The Weather Man
In 2005, Nicolas Cage headlined "Lord of War" and "The Weather Man", which failed to find a significant audience.
December 2006: Plans to Curtail Acting
In December 2006, Nicolas Cage announced plans to curtail his future acting endeavors.
March 25, 2007: Ghost Rider Box Office
By March 25, 2007, "Ghost Rider" earned over $208 million worldwide.
November 2007: Drops out of The Wrestler
In November 2007, Nicolas Cage dropped out of the production of "The Wrestler" because he felt he did not have enough time to prepare for the role, and the director preferred Mickey Rourke.
2007: Creation of Comic Book "Voodoo Child"
In 2007, Nicolas Cage created a comic book with his son Weston called "Voodoo Child", published by Virgin Comics.
2007: Ghost Rider film series
In 2007, Nicolas Cage starred in the "Ghost Rider" film series.
2008: Stars in Bangkok Dangerous
In 2008, Nicolas Cage appeared in "Bangkok Dangerous" as Joe, a contract killer who undergoes a change of heart during a job in Bangkok.
2009: Reported Earnings of $40 Million
According to Forbes, Nicolas Cage earned $40 million in 2009, making him one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors.
2009: Stars in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
In 2009, Nicolas Cage starred in "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," portraying a corrupt police officer with addictions. 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 unsettling 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.
2010: Stars in The Sorcerer's Apprentice
In 2010, Nicolas Cage starred in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," where he played the role of the sorcerer.
2011: Ghost Rider film series
In 2011, Nicolas Cage continued to star in the "Ghost Rider" film series.
2011: Stars in Season of the Witch and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
In 2011, Nicolas Cage headlined the period piece "Season of the Witch," playing a 14th-century knight. He also reprised his role in "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance".
August 30, 2013: Joe Premieres at the 70th Venice International Film Festival
On August 30, 2013, the film "Joe," starring Nicolas Cage, premiered at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. Cage received critical acclaim for his performance.
2013: The Croods film series
In 2013, Nicolas Cage voiced a character in "The Croods" film series.
2013: Re-appointed UN Ambassador for Global Justice
In 2013, Nicolas Cage was re-appointed as a UN ambassador for Global Justice.
2013: Ethan Hawke comments on Nicolas Cage's Acting
In 2013, actor Ethan Hawke stated that Nicolas Cage is "the only actor since Marlon Brando that's actually done anything new with the art".
2013: Nicolas Cage to reprise Grug in The Croods: A New Age
In 2013, it was confirmed that Nicolas Cage would reprise his role as Grug in The Croods: A New Age, which was released in 2020.
2014: Appears in Rage and Has Grandson
In 2014, Nicolas Cage's son, Weston, appeared in the film Rage. Also in 2014, Nicolas Cage had a grandson through Weston.
May 20, 2016: Dog Eat Dog Premieres 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, the film "Dog Eat Dog", starring Nicolas Cage, was released in the United States.
May 2017: Reported Efforts to Pay Off Debts
By May 2017, Nicolas Cage, with a net worth around $25 million, was reportedly taking many film roles to pay off his remaining debts.
2017: Mom and Dad Premieres at Toronto International Film Festival
In 2017, "Mom and Dad", starring Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair, premiered in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival.
January 19, 2018: Mom and Dad Released in Theaters
On January 19, 2018, "Mom and Dad", starring Nicolas Cage, was released in theaters and received positive reviews, with Cage's performance noted as "over-the-top."
December 2018: Stars in Prisoners of Ghostland
In December 2018, Nicolas Cage was announced to star in Sion Sono's "Prisoners of the Ghostland," Sono's English-language debut.
December 2018: Cast in Color Out of Space
In December 2018, it was announced that Nicolas Cage would star in Richard Stanley's "Color Out of Space," marking Stanley's return to directing feature films.
2018: Stars in Mandy
In 2018, Nicolas Cage starred in the action thriller film "Mandy," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
2018: Voices Superman and Spider-Man Noir
In 2018, Nicolas Cage voiced Superman in "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" and Spider-Man Noir in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." His Spider-Man Noir performance was based on classic film actors.
2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Mandy
In 2018, Nicolas Cage voiced a character in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and starred in "Mandy".
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 at Toronto International Film Festival
On September 7, 2019, Nicolas Cage was awarded for his role in "Color Out of Space" at the Toronto International Film Festival.
January 24, 2020: Color Out of Space Released in United States Theaters
On January 24, 2020, "Color Out of Space", starring Nicolas Cage, was released in United States theaters.
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: The Croods film series
In 2020, Nicolas Cage continued to voice a character in "The Croods" film series.
2020: Endorsement of Andrew Yang for President
In 2020, Nicolas Cage endorsed Andrew Yang for president of the United States.
January 31, 2021: Prisoners of the Ghostland Premieres
On January 31, 2021, the film "Prisoners of the Ghostland," starring Nicolas Cage, had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
July 2021: Tiger King Series Scrapped
In July 2021, the scripted "Tiger King" series starring Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic was scrapped.
2021: Pig
In 2021, Nicolas Cage earned renewed critical recognition for his starring role in "Pig".
2022: Confirmation of Debt Payment and Selective Film Roles
By 2022, Nicolas Cage confirmed he had paid off his debts and intended to be more selective with his film roles.
2022: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
In 2022, Nicolas Cage earned renewed critical recognition for his starring role in "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent".
2023: Dream Scenario
In 2023, Nicolas Cage earned renewed critical recognition for his starring role in "Dream Scenario".
2023: Stars in Renfield and The Flash
In 2023, Nicolas Cage portrayed Dracula in the horror comedy "Renfield" and reprised his role as Superman in "The Flash."
2023: Donation to Channel Seven Perth Telethon
In 2023, while filming The Surfer in Western Australia, Nicolas Cage made a AU$5,000 donation to the Channel Seven Perth Telethon.
2023: Cast as Spider-Man Noir
In early 2023, it was announced Nicolas Cage would play a live action version of Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir on Amazon Prime Video.
July 2024: Spider-Noir Show Confirmed and Stars in Longlegs
In July 2024, Nicolas Cage stars as the titular serial killer in the horror thriller film Longlegs, which he produced. The show based on the character he will play, was confirmed to be titled Spider-Noir.
September 2024: Filming for Spider-Noir begins
In September 2024, filming began in Los Angeles for the show Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage.
2024: Longlegs
In 2024, Nicolas Cage earned renewed critical recognition for his starring role in "Longlegs".
