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| 5 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oip_236.jpg]] |
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| 7 | ->''"Cage is a good actor in good movies, and an almost indispensable actor in bad ones."'' |
| 8 | -->-- '''Creator/RogerEbert''' on ''Film/DriveAngry'' |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964 in Long Beach, California), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor, known for his many collaborations with film producer Creator/JerryBruckheimer. He changed his last name to Cage ([[JustForFun/OneOfUs after]] Creator/MarvelComics' ComicBook/LukeCage and the composer Music/JohnCage) because his uncle is the great director Creator/FrancisFordCoppola, and Cage didn't want [[{{Nepotism}} an unfair advantage pursuing success in film on his own efforts]][[note]]and because people wouldn't stop quoting his uncle's films at him[[/note]]. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Cage pursued acting as a career, making his debut on television in 1981. He has won numerous awards, beginning in 1989 with an Independent Spirit Award and [[MediaNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInALeadingRole Academy Award for Best Actor]] for his lead role in ''Film/LeavingLasVegas''. He has appeared in over 60 films, including ''Film/FaceOff'' (1997), ''Film/NationalTreasure'' (2004), and ''Film/{{Ghost Rider|2007}}'' (2007). |
| 13 | |
| 14 | His career is noted for lying in the extremes. He proved himself to be an actor of great talent who can create compelling and moving characters in complex, critically acclaimed films. He then established himself as a bankable leading man in massive, explosion-filled blockbusters. After seeing his career slump thanks to some poor choices, coupled with owing millions to the IRS in unpaid taxes, he turned to the DTV market and started churning out poorly received work [[MoneyDearBoy done purely for the money]]. After a few years of this, he swung back with films like ''Film/{{Mandy|2018}}'' and ''Film/{{Pig}}'', dark character studies in which he reminded the world why he's an Oscar-winning actor. Those two films led to a [[CareerResurrection career resurgence]] that brought him somewhat back into the mainstream. In this new phase, Cage has embraced the public perception of him as being a LargeHam and even turned in a well-received AdamWesting performance AsHimself in ''Film/TheUnbearableWeightOfMassiveTalent''. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Cage's interesting acting choices, and the broad range of quality in his filmography, has made him the subject of mass MemeticMutation over the years. Website/{{Cracked}} once pitched the theory that he is attempting some sort of experiment where he takes only the best and worst films offered to him, and absolutely nothing in between. Others might say that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eExfV_xKaiM he just takes any role offered to him]], [[DoingItForTheArt because he loves what he does]]. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Cage's style of acting is idiosyncratic enough that Roger Ebert named a specific trope after him -- the [[ChewingTheScenery Nicolas Cage Wig-Out Scene]], as nobody plays a grown man throwing a screaming tantrum quite like Mr. Cage, and for a while it seemed an indispensable part of every one of his films. It was lampshaded and parodied on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' by Creator/AndySamberg, who had a recurring segment on ''Weekend Update'' called "Get in the Cage" (one such segment even had the real Nicolas Cage as a clone of Samberg's Cage created so Samberg's Cage could star in every movie ever made). |
| 19 | |
| 20 | He is also an avid comic book fan. Apart from the aforementioned partial inspiration of his stage name, he named his second son [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Kal-El]] (so his full name is Kal-El [[Creator/FrancisFordCoppola Coppola]] Cage), played Film/{{Ghost Rider|Duology}}, and was cast as ComicBook/{{Superman}} in Creator/TimBurton's [[DevelopmentHell cancelled]] ''Superman Lives''. (He eventually got a chance to voice him, however, in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoToTheMovies''.) In 2010, he got a serious fanboy moment co-starring in ''Film/KickAss'' as the CrazyIsCool badass Big Daddy (redesigned in the film to resemble/evoke ComicBook/{{Batman}}), who wipes out warehouses full of mobsters single-handedly. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | [[FountainOfMemes Cage]] is also the subject of another [[MemeticMutation popular meme]], "[[http://niccageaseveryone.blogspot.com/ Nic Cage as Everyone]]", which revolves around [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin photo manipulations of Cage as film/TV characters, historical figures and current celebrities]]. Beware -- it's creepy, but also pretty hilarious.[[note]]You will not look at ''Series/TheATeam'' the same way again. Especially Baracus.[[/note]] He also has several [[VoiceClipSong memetic songs]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PJddmfesaA&feature=relmfu made from]] [[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/nic-cage-song his lines]], which have also become memetic. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | ...and when you thought things couldn't get weirder, turns out there's a {{grindcore}} band [[https://cagegrindnoir.bandcamp.com/ based on his movies]]. And also a [[https://www.facebook.com/thetombofnickcage/ horror punk band named after the gravesite he purchased in New Orleans]]. And a [[Website/{{Reddit}} subreddit]] dedicated to him under the name [[https://www.reddit.com/r/onetruegod/ "One True God"]]. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} He is also the universal constant which unites us all.]] [[Film/{{SnakeEyes}} After all, that was the plan: to give you a boner. And you got one. Congratulations, you're human.]] |
| 27 | |
| 28 | !!Notable for: |
| 29 | * ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'' (1982) -- Brad's Bud (the only time he was credited as Nicolas Coppola) |
| 30 | * ''Film/ValleyGirl'' (1983) -- Randy |
| 31 | * ''Literature/RumbleFish'' (1983) -- Smokey |
| 32 | * ''Film/TheCottonClub'' (1984) -- Vincent Dwyer |
| 33 | * ''Film/{{Birdy}}'' (1984) -- Al Columbato |
| 34 | * ''Film/PeggySueGotMarried'' (1986) -- Charlie Bodell |
| 35 | * ''Film/RaisingArizona'' (1987) -- H. I. [=McDunnough=] |
| 36 | * ''Film/{{Moonstruck}}'' (1987) -- Ronny Cammareri |
| 37 | * ''Film/VampiresKiss'' (1988) -- Peter Loew ([[HamAndCheese played so]] [[ChewingTheScenery over-the-top]] [[MemeticMutation that it created a meme]], [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/you-dont-say You Don't Say?]]) |
| 38 | * ''Film/WildAtHeart'' (1990) -- Sailor Ripley |
| 39 | * ''Film/HoneymoonInVegas'' (1992) -- Jack Singer |
| 40 | * ''Film/AmosAndAndrew'' (1993) -- Amos Odell |
| 41 | * ''Film/RedRockWest'' (1993) -- Michael Williams |
| 42 | * ''Film/{{Deadfall}}'' (1993) -- Eddie (Cage at his hammiest.) |
| 43 | * ''Film/ItCouldHappenToYou'' (1994) -- Charlie Lang |
| 44 | * ''Film/GuardingTess'' (1994) -- Doug Chesnic |
| 45 | * ''Film/KissOfDeath'' (1995) -- Little Junior Brown |
| 46 | * ''Film/LeavingLasVegas'' (1995) -- Ben Sanderson |
| 47 | * ''Film/TheRock'' (1996) -- Stanley Goodspeed |
| 48 | * ''Film/ConAir'' (1997) -- Cameron Poe |
| 49 | * ''Film/FaceOff'' (1997) -- Castor Troy / Sean Archer |
| 50 | * ''Film/CityOfAngels'' (1998) -- Seth |
| 51 | * ''Film/SnakeEyes'' (1998) -- Rick Santoro |
| 52 | * ''Film/EightMM'' (1998) -- Tom Welles |
| 53 | * ''Film/BringingOutTheDead'' (1999) -- Frank Pierce |
| 54 | * ''Film/{{Gone In Sixty Seconds|2000}}'' (2000) -- Memphis Raines |
| 55 | * ''Film/TheFamilyMan'' (2000) -- Jack Campbell |
| 56 | * ''Film/CaptainCorellisMandolin'' (2001) -- Captain Antonio Corelli |
| 57 | * ''WesternAnimation/ChristmasCarolTheMovie'' (2001) -- Jacob Marley (voice) |
| 58 | * ''Film/{{Windtalkers}}'' (2002) -- Sgt. Joe Enders |
| 59 | * ''Film/{{Sonny|2002}}'' (2002) -- Acid Yellow (also director) |
| 60 | * ''Film/{{Adaptation}}'' (2002) -- [[Creator/CharlieKaufman Charlie]] [[ActingForTwo and]] Donald Kaufman. |
| 61 | * ''Film/MatchstickMen'' (2003) -- Roy Waller |
| 62 | * ''Film/NationalTreasure'' series -- Benjamin Franklin Gates |
| 63 | ** ''National Treasure'' (2004) |
| 64 | ** ''National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets'' (2007) |
| 65 | * ''Film/LordOfWar'' (2005) -- Yuri Orlov |
| 66 | * ''Film/TheWeatherMan'' (2005) -- David Spritz |
| 67 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheAntBully'' (2006) -- Zoc (voice) |
| 68 | * ''Film/{{The Wicker Man|2006}}'' (2006) -- Edward Malus |
| 69 | * ''Film/WorldTradeCenter'' (2006) -- John [=McLoughlin=] |
| 70 | * ''Film/{{Ghost Rider|2007}}'' (2007) -- Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider |
| 71 | ** ''Film/GhostRiderSpiritOfVengeance'' (2011) |
| 72 | * ''Film/{{Grindhouse}}'' (2007) -- [[TheCameo A cameo]] as Literature/FuManchu [[RealTrailerFakeMovie in trailers]]. |
| 73 | * ''Film/{{Next|2007}}'' (2007) -- Cris Johnson a.k.a. Frank Cadillac |
| 74 | * ''Film/BangkokDangerous2008'' -- Joe |
| 75 | * ''Film/GForce'' (2009) - Speckles (voice) |
| 76 | * ''Film/{{Knowing}}'' (2009) -- Dr. John Koestler |
| 77 | * ''WesternAnimation/AstroBoy'' (2009) -- Dr. Tenma (voice) |
| 78 | * ''Film/TheBadLieutenantPortOfCallNewOrleans'' (2009) -- Lt. Terrence [=McDonagh=] |
| 79 | * ''Film/KickAss'' (2010) -- Big Daddy |
| 80 | * ''Film/TheSorcerersApprentice'' (2010) -- Balthazar |
| 81 | * ''Film/DriveAngry'' (2011) -- Milton |
| 82 | * ''Film/SeasonOfTheWitch'' (2011) -- Bemen von Bleibruck |
| 83 | * ''Film/{{Trespass|2011}}'' (2011) -- Kyle Miller |
| 84 | * ''Film/{{Stolen|2012}}'' (2012) -- Will Montgomery |
| 85 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheCroods'' (2013) -- Grug (voice) |
| 86 | ** ''WesternAnimation/TheCroodsANewAge'' (2020) |
| 87 | * ''Film/TheFrozenGround'' (2013) -- Detective Jack Holcombe |
| 88 | * ''Film/{{Joe|2013}}'' (2013) -- Joe Ransom |
| 89 | * ''Film/{{Left Behind|2014}}'' (2014) -- Rayford Steele |
| 90 | * ''Film/{{Outcast}}'' (2014) -- Sir Gallian |
| 91 | * ''Film/DogEatDog'' (2016) -- Troy |
| 92 | * ''Film/USSIndianapolisMenOfCourage'' (2016) -- Captain [=McVay=] |
| 93 | * ''Film/MomAndDad'' (2017) -- Brent Ryan |
| 94 | * ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoToTheMovies'' (2018) -- Franchise/{{Superman}} (voice) |
| 95 | * ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' (2018) -- ComicBook/SpiderManNoir (voice)[[note]]That's right. He played Superman ''and'' Spider-Man in the same year.[[/note]] |
| 96 | * ''Film/{{Mandy|2018}}'' (2018) -- Red |
| 97 | * ''Film/{{Primal}}'' (2019) -- Frank Walsh |
| 98 | * ''Film/AScoreToSettle'' (2019) -- Frank Carver |
| 99 | * ''Film/{{Color Out Of Space|2020}}'' (2020) -- Nathan Gardner |
| 100 | * ''History of Swear Words'' (2021) -- Host |
| 101 | * ''Film/PrisonersOfTheGhostland'' (2021) -- Hero (personally considered by Cage himself to be one of the wildest movies that he's ever been in.) |
| 102 | * ''Film/WillysWonderland'' (2021) -- the Janitor |
| 103 | * ''Film/{{Pig}}'' (2021) -- Robin |
| 104 | * ''Film/TheUnbearableWeightOfMassiveTalent'' (2022) -- [[AsHimself Nick Cage]] and Nicky |
| 105 | * ''Film/TheOldWay'' (2023) -- Colton Briggs |
| 106 | * ''Film/{{Renfield|2023}}'' (2023) -- [[{{Dracula}} Count Dracula]] |
| 107 | * ''Film/{{The Flash|2023}}'' (2023) -- [[spoiler: [[Characters/DCEUOtherSuperheroes Superman]]]] |
| 108 | * ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'' (2023) -- AsHimself |
| 109 | * ''Film/SympathyForTheDevil'' (2023) -- The Passenger |
| 110 | * ''[[Film/ButchersCtossing Butcher's Crossing]]'' (2023) -- Miller |
| 111 | * ''Film/DreamScenario'' (2023) -- Paul Matthews |
| 112 | * ''Film/{{Longlegs}}'' (2024) -- Longlegs |
| 113 | |
| 114 | !!Nicolas Cage in Fiction: |
| 115 | |
| 116 | * Cage is mentioned in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', by way of the film ''Film/ConAir''. It's John's favourite movie (or was), but his favourite actor is stated to be Creator/MatthewMcConaughey. |
| 117 | ** [[CelebrityCrush However, he's Vriska's favourite actor.]] |
| 118 | ** [[WordOfGod According to]] [[http://www.formspring.me/mspadventures/q/211740610116225832 Hussie]], in-universe he survived the meteor apocalypse and ascended to the [[PhysicalGod God Tiers]], becoming the [[PunnyName Nick of Time]]. [[TeasingCreator Given how lightly Hussie treats canon]], who knows whether this is to be [[RuleOfFunny taken seriously]], but... |
| 119 | ** [[invoked]] The hidden "Dark Cage" animations take an image and vocal clips of Cage, and turn them into NightmareFuel. |
| 120 | *** Boner! |
| 121 | * He is a fighter in ''WebAnimation/SmashBrosLawl''. |
| 122 | * He's a recurring character in ''[[WebAnimation/TheFrolloShow Leet Fighters]]'', serving his role as a teacher and a cop. No, really. |
| 123 | * On ''Series/{{Community}}'', Abed (a TV and movie addict with mental issues) gets Professor Sheffield's critical analysis class on ''Series/WhosTheBoss'' cancelled after successfully answering, with conclusive proof, the supposedly unanswerable question of who exactly "the boss" was (it was Angela). In a later season, he tries the same thing in Professor Garrity's class, "Nicolas Cage: Good or Bad?", but said question proves too much even for him, and he ends up [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuyH89V_HV8 going quite insane]]. Shirley eventually proposes that Cage, like [[Franchise/{{Hellraiser}} the Cenobites]], is a "demon to some, angel to others", which helps Abed find peace. |
| 124 | * On ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Jake Peralta is a big fan of Cage and has all of his films in a large DVD collection he brings to a safe house he is staying at with Captain Holt and his husband Kevin. Kevin, a high culture aficionado, resents Jake for making him watch blockbuster action films like ''Film/NationalTreasure'' and ''Film/FaceOff''. He only becomes angrier at the end when, after leaving the safe house, he learns Jake's collection also included Cage's more dramatic, heavy subject matter films such as ''Film/LeavingLasVegas'' that he might have actually enjoyed, but Jake considers boring. |
| 125 | ---- |
| 126 | |
| 127 | !! Tropes associated with Nicolas Cage's roles: |
| 128 | * AdamWesting: |
| 129 | ** Later films in his career make it clear Cage is completely aware of his reputation as a [[LargeHam hammy]] {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, and has mocked himself a few times. His appearance on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and the behind the scenes interviews on ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' ('Oh, you want me to go [[LargeHam full Cage]]?') are evidence of this. |
| 130 | ** Taken to its logical conclusion with him hosting the Netflix documentary ''History of Swear Words'', where his literal first words are "Fuck are you lookin' at?" followed by him recreating famous lines in film (as well as [[Creator/ChristianBale two famous]] [[Creator/BillOReilly celebrity tantrums]]) with 'fuck' in them... with his own spin. Throughout the series, he also uses pieces of his own filmography to illustrate the use of swear words. |
| 131 | ** And then it became the subject of [[Film/TheUnbearableWeightOfMassiveTalent an entire movie]] by itself. |
| 132 | * BeamMeUpScotty: Expect to be disappointed if you want to see Cage exclaim "YOU DON'T SAY!" in ''Film/VampiresKiss''. |
| 133 | * LargeHam: It's what Nic's most well-known for. [[https://youtu.be/fOONIlhXFh4?t=83 The man could over-act the alphabet, for crying out loud]]. |
| 134 | * MoneyDearBoy: Something to note is how much of his filmography is made up of films where his involvement has been motivated by having to take every piece of work available to him, no matter how bad or low-brow, after having racked up a significant tax debt ([[http://financebuzz.io/finance-nicolas-cage-buying-spree spending like this]] tends to do that to you) and needing to pay off the IRS. |
| 135 | * OohMeAccentsSlipping: |
| 136 | ** His HORRENDOUS attempt at a Deep South accent in Film/ConAir. |
| 137 | ** Also, his hammy, over-the-top Italian accent in Film/CaptainCorellisMandolin. |
| 138 | * PromotedFanboy: |
| 139 | ** He is an unabashed comic book admirer (his stage surname was partially inspired by Marvel's ComicBook/LukeCage), and has starred in several comics-based films. |
| 140 | ** He has a tattoo of ''ComicBook/GhostRider'' on his arm. He would play the character twice on film, for which he needed the tattoo covered up. |
| 141 | ** He named his own son Kal-El, after Superman's Kryptonian name. Cage was cast as the Man of Steel in Creator/TimBurton's ''Superman Lives'', but owing to numerous behind the scenes troubles, the film ultimately went [[DevelopmentHell unmade]]. (Cage did get to voice the character, in 2018's ''Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'', [[spoiler:and would perform motion capture for his ''Superman Lives''-inspired CG cameo in ''[[Film/TheFlash2023 The Flash]]''.]]) |
| 142 | ---- |
| 143 | -->[[Film/ConAir I said... put... the bunny... back... in the box.]] |
| 144 | |
| 145 | -->[[Film/SnakeEyes Boner!]] |
| 146 | |
| 147 | -->''[[Film/TheWickerMan2006 Wait, what is that... OOH NO! NOT THE TROPES! NOT THE TROPES!!!]] '''[[LargeHam AAAAAAARRRRGGHHH!! AUGH THEY'RE IN MY INDEX!! MY INDEX!!! AAAAAGGGH!!! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!]]''''' |
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