THE PEOPLE. THE STORIES. THE IMPACT.Biographies & estimated net worth
PeoplespediaLIVES WORTH KNOWINGAn encyclopedia of remarkable lives
,

Nicolas Cage Biography: Oscar Winner, Action Star and Hollywood’s Great Survivor

Daniel Reed
Nicolas Cage headshot

Nicolas Cage is an American actor and Oscar winner whose four-decade career runs from arthouse acclaim to blockbuster action stardom and back: Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off, then a late-career revival with Pig and Longlegs. In January 2027 he returns as arms dealer Yuri Orlov in Lords of War.

Quick facts

  • Full name: Nicolas Kim Coppola
  • Born: 7 January 1964, Long Beach, California, USA
  • Nationality: American
  • Occupation: Actor, film producer
  • Known for: Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock, Con Air, Face/Off, National Treasure, Pig, Longlegs
  • Spouse: Riko Shibata (married 2021)
  • Children: Three — Weston (born 1990), Kal-El (born 2005) and August (born 2022)

Early life and background

Nicolas Cage was born Nicolas Kim Coppola on 7 January 1964 in Long Beach, California, to August Coppola, a literature professor, and Joy Vogelsang, a dancer and choreographer. His uncle is director Francis Ford Coppola, his aunt is actress Talia Shire, and his cousins include filmmakers Sofia Coppola and Roman Coppola. He dropped the Coppola name early in his career, taking “Cage” from the Marvel hero Luke Cage and composer John Cage; he only legally changed it in 2025.

Cage attended Beverly Hills High School and studied acting at UCLA. His screen debut came in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), after an un-aired 1981 television pilot.

Breakthrough: from Valley Girl to Moonstruck

Cage’s first starring role came in the romantic comedy Valley Girl (1983), now a cult classic. He appeared in his uncle’s films Rumble Fish (1983), The Cotton Club (1984) and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), and won praise for the drama Birdy (1984), for which he had two front teeth pulled for the role.

In 1987 came two very different films: the Coen brothers’ crime comedy Raising Arizona, in which he played a dim-witted ex-con, and the romantic comedy Moonstruck, starring opposite Cher as a hot-tempered baker. Moonstruck earned Cage his first Golden Globe nomination. He followed with Vampire’s Kiss (1988) and David Lynch’s Palme d’Or winner Wild at Heart (1990).

Oscar glory and action stardom

Cage’s most acclaimed performance came in Leaving Las Vegas (1995), playing an alcoholic screenwriter. The role won him the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama. He was paid about $240,000 for it.

Almost immediately, Cage became one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars. The Rock (1996), opposite Sean Connery, was followed by Con Air and Face/Off, both released in June 1997 — the latter a dual-role showcase with John Travolta as sworn enemies who swap faces. Like fellow 1990s action star Tom Cruise, Cage became a bankable leading man, his pay climbing to $20 million a film. He earned a second Oscar nomination for Adaptation (2002), playing screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin, and made his directorial debut the same year with Sonny.

Franchises, spending and setbacks

The 2000s brought franchise success — National Treasure (2004) and its 2007 sequel, Ghost Rider (2007), which grossed more than $208 million worldwide, and Lord of War (2005). Off screen, Cage was spending on a scale to match his earnings: at his peak he owned about 15 homes, including two castles and a private Bahamian island, plus yachts and a Gulfstream jet.

The 2008 financial crash changed everything. In July 2009 the IRS filed a tax lien over more than $6.2 million in unpaid federal tax for 2007, and his total reported tax debts, interest and penalties eventually exceeded $13 million. Homes were foreclosed or sold at steep losses, including the LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans. Cage sued his former business manager over the losses. He refused to declare bankruptcy and worked at an extraordinary pace to clear the debts by 2022; the full story is in Nicolas Cage’s net worth.

Critical resurgence

The psychedelic horror film Mandy (2018) reminded critics of Cage’s wildest gifts; Pig (2021), in which he plays a reclusive former chef hunting for his stolen truffle pig, brought some of the best reviews of his career. He played a fictionalised version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), earned a fifth Golden Globe nomination for Dream Scenario (2023), played Dracula in Renfield (2023), and starred as the title serial killer in Longlegs (2024), a $128 million worldwide hit on a roughly $10 million budget.

He also voiced Grug in The Croods (2013) and Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018).

2026 and beyond

In 2026 Cage took his first leading television role, playing private detective Ben Reilly in Spider-Noir, an eight-episode live-action Marvel series for MGM+ and Prime Video set in 1930s New York. He also signed in August 2024 to play NFL coach John Madden in Madden.

The headline return, though, is Lords of War. The first teaser trailer, released by Vertical Entertainment on 4 November 2026, shows Cage back as Yuri Orlov, the arms dealer he first played 22 years ago, now facing a ruthless rival who turns out to be his own estranged son, Anton, played by Bill Skarsgård. Writer-director Andrew Niccol returns, and the film opens in US cinemas on 22 January 2027.

Personal life

Cage has been married five times. He was married to actress Patricia Arquette (1995–2001), then to Lisa Marie Presley (2002–2004; the divorce was filed 107 days after the wedding). He married Alice Kim in 2004 — their son Kal-El was born in 2005 — and they divorced in January 2016. A brief 2019 marriage to Erika Koike ended in divorce the same year. In February 2021 he married Riko Shibata; their daughter August was born in September 2022. His eldest son, Weston, was born in 1990 during his relationship with actress Christina Fulton.

Away from film, Cage gave $2 million to Amnesty International and $1 million to Hurricane Katrina relief, and was named the UN’s Global Citizen of the Year in 2009. His copy of Action Comics #1 sold at auction in 2011 for a then-record $2.16 million.

Net worth snapshot

Nicolas Cage’s net worth is estimated at $30 million in 2026, according to Celebrity Net Worth, with other published estimates reaching $40 million — a long way from the fortune of more than $100 million he held at his peak, before a $13 million tax bill and the 2008 property crash forced a decade of sell-offs. The full breakdown is in Nicolas Cage’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Nicolas Cage?

Nicolas Cage was born on 7 January 1964 in Long Beach, California, making him 62 years old in November 2026.

What movie did Nicolas Cage win an Oscar for?

Nicolas Cage won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Leaving Las Vegas (1995), playing a self-destructive alcoholic screenwriter. He was nominated a second time for Adaptation (2002), in which he played screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald.

Is Nicolas Cage related to Francis Ford Coppola?

Yes. Nicolas Cage was born Nicolas Kim Coppola and is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola. He dropped the Coppola surname early in his career to avoid the appearance of nepotism, taking “Cage” from the Marvel hero Luke Cage and composer John Cage, and only legally changed his name in 2025.

When is Lords of War released?

Lords of War, the sequel to Lord of War (2005), is scheduled for release in US cinemas on 22 January 2027. The first teaser trailer was released on 4 November 2026, with Cage returning as arms dealer Yuri Orlov opposite Bill Skarsgård as his estranged son Anton.

Sources