Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964),[1][2] known asNicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient ofvarious accolades, including anAcademy Award, aScreen Actors Guild Award, and aGolden Globe Award as well as nominations for twoBAFTA Awards. Known for his versatility as an actor, Cage's work across diverse film genres has gained him a significantcult following.[3][4][5] Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $6.4 billion worldwide.[6]
Cage owns the production companySaturn Films and has produced films such asShadow of the Vampire (2000) andThe Life of David Gale (2003), and has directedSonny (2002). For his contributions to the film industry, he was inducted into theHollywood Walk of Fame in 1998. He was ranked No. 40 inEmpire magazine's The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time list in 2007 and was placed No. 37 inPremiere's 100 Most Powerful People in Hollywood in 2008. Nicolas Cage was also voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time in a 2022 readers' poll byEmpire magazine.[10]
At age 15, he tried to convince his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, to give him ascreen test, telling him "I'll show you acting." His outburst was met with "silence in the car."[20] By this stage of his career, Coppola had already directedMarlon Brando,Al Pacino,Gene Hackman andRobert De Niro. Although early in his career Cage appeared in some of his uncle's films, he changed his name to Nicolas Cage to avoid the appearance ofnepotism as Coppola's nephew. His choice of name was inspired by theMarvel Comics superheroLuke Cage and composerJohn Cage.[21][22]
Career
1981–1988: Early work and breakthrough
Cage made his acting debut in the 1981 television pilotThe Best of Times, which was never picked up byABC.[23] His film debut followed in 1982, with a minor role as an unnamed co-worker ofJudge Reinhold's character in thecoming-of-age filmFast Times at Ridgemont High, having originally auditioned for Reinhold's part.[24] His experience on the film was marred by cast members endlessly quoting his uncle's films, which inspired him to change his name.[24] Cage's first starring role came oppositeDeborah Foreman in the romantic comedyValley Girl (1983), in which he played apunk who falls in love with the titularvalley girl, a plot loosely inspired byRomeo and Juliet.[25] The film was a modest box office success and has been branded acult classic.[26] He auditioned for the role of Dallas Winston in his uncle's filmThe Outsiders, based onS.E. Hinton'snovel, but lost toMatt Dillon.[27] Cage, however, would co-star in Coppola's adaptation of another Hinton novel,Rumble Fish, in that year.[28]
In 1984, Cage appeared in three period films, none of which fared well at the box office. In the drama,Racing with the Moon (1984), Cage featured oppositeSean Penn as friends who are awaiting deployment to theUnited States Marine Corps.[29] In Coppola's crime dramaThe Cotton Club he portrayed a fictionalized version of mob hitmanVincent "Mad Dog" Coll, earning praise from criticPaul Attanasio for "artfully [using] his few moments to sketch a brawny, violent thug."[30] His final release of the year wasAlan Parker's dramaBirdy, in which he starred withMatthew Modine. Cage lost weight for the role and had two of his front teeth pulled out to appear disfigured.[31] Despite massively underperforming at the box office, the film, and Cage and Modine's performances, received positive reviews, withThe New York Times criticJanet Maslin writing, "Mr. Cage very sympathetically captures Al's urgency and frustration. Together, these actors work miracles with what might have been unplayable."[32]
In 1989, Cage starred in the black comedyVampire's Kiss as a man who falls in love with avampire and soon begins to believe himself as a vampire. The film was a major box office flop but has developed a cult following largely due to Cage's surrealistic and over-the-top performance appearing ininternet memes. CriticVincent Canby felt the film was "dominated and destroyed by Mr. Cage's chaotic, self-indulgent performance."[37] After filming the Italian dramaTime to Kill (1989) inZimbabwe, he starred inDavid Lynch's romantic crime filmWild at Heart (1990) withLaura Dern. Cage was drawn to the project because he was "always attracted to those passionate, almost unbridled romantic characters" and it allowed him to impersonate one of his heroes,Elvis Presley, in scenes in which he sang.[22][38]Wild at Heart received mixed reviews upon release, despite controversially winning thePalme d'Or at the1990 Cannes Film Festival.[39] Cage would reunite with Lynch and Dern for theavant-garde concert performanceIndustrial Symphony No. 1.[40]
Also in 1990, he starred as a helicopter pilot in the action filmFire Birds, which was panned by critics and negatively compared toTop Gun (1986).[41] Cage's next film, the erotic thrillerZandalee (1991), was releaseddirect-to-video in the United States, where it did not receive a theatrical release.[42] His "goofy 'everyman'" performance in the romantic comedyHoneymoon in Vegas (1992) garnered some positive critical notices,[43] including from Roger Ebert, who defended Cage amidst some critics finding his acting "excessive" and earned Cage his second Golden Globe nomination.[44][35] He hosted an episode of the variety showSaturday Night Live to promote the film, his only time hosting the show.[45]
In 1996, he starred alongsideSean Connery andEd Harris inMichael Bay'sThe Rock, the first of a string of action films for Cage. In the film, he played anFBI chemical weapons specialist breaking intoAlcatraz federal prison.The Rock was a box office and critical success, with journalistAlexander Larman stating the film "launched Cage into an unexpected vocation as an offbeat action star."[54] Next, he starred inCon Air andFace/Off, two commercially successful action thrillers that were both released in June 1997. InCon Air, Cage led anensemble cast along withJohn Cusack andJohn Malkovich.Jerry Bruckheimer,Con Air's producer, offered the role to Cage after being impressed with his performances inLeaving Las Vegas andThe Rock. Cage accepted despite disappointment at not being offered the villain role.[55] Ebert felt Cage "[made] the wrong choice... by playing Cameron Poe as a slow-witted Elvis type who is very, very earnest and approaches every task with tunnel vision; it would have been more fun if he'd been less of a hayseed."[56] John Woo'sFace/Off saw Cage andJohn Travolta star indual roles as sworn enemies—a terrorist and anFBI agent—who both undergoface transplants to impersonate each other, requiring Cage and Travolta to switch characters. Both performances were praised by critics, with theBBC writing in their review "Travolta and Cage invest their dual roles with physical subtleties that reflect the other actor's character."[57]
After starring in these action films back-to-back, Cage decided to "return to more serious fare" in the romantic fantasy filmCity of Angels (1998), a loose remake of the German filmWings of Desire (1987). Critics were split on the film and Cage's performance, with reviews ranging from describing him as "endlessly resourceful" to "[resembling] a serial killer more than an angel."[58][59]Brian De Palma's thrillerSnake Eyes, his second film of 1998, starred Cage as a corrupt detective.[60] The film was met with mixed reviews, which were largely critical of its screenplay.[61] Cage starred inMartin Scorsese's 1999 New York City paramedic dramaBringing Out the Dead.[22]
Most of Cage's movies that have achieved financial success were in the action/adventure genre. These includeThe Rock,[62]Con Air,[63]Face/Off,[63] andGone in 60 Seconds (2000), with Cage as a retired car thief.[64] He took the lead role in the 2000 romantic comedy filmThe Family Man, in which he played a man forced to deal with an alternate life that had a plot similar to the Christmas movieIt's a Wonderful Life (1946),[65] and the 2001 war filmCaptain Corelli's Mandolin where he learned to play the mandolin from scratch for the part.[66][67] In 2002, he was again nominated for Oscar and Golden Globe best actor awards for his portrayal of real-life screenwriterCharlie Kaufman and Kaufman's fictional twin Donald inAdaptation.[68]
Cage made his directorial debut in 2002 withSonny, a low-budget drama starringJames Franco as a male prostitute whose mother (Brenda Blethyn) serves as his pimp. Cage had a small role in the film, which received poor reviews and a short run in a limited number of theaters.[22][69] Cage's producing career includesShadow of the Vampire (2000), the first effort from Saturn Films.[70] He starred inRidley Scott's 2003 black comedy crime filmMatchstick Men, in which he played a con artist withobsessive–compulsive disorder.[71]
In his second-highest-grossing film to date,National Treasure (2004), Cage played an eccentric historian who goes on a dangerous adventure to find treasure hidden by theFounding Fathers of the United States.[72] In 2005, two films he headlined,Lord of War andThe Weather Man,[73] failed to find a significant audience despite nationwide releases and good reviews for his performances.[74] The 2006 remake ofThe Wicker Man was very poorly reviewed, and failed to make back its $40-million budget.[75][76] In early December 2006, Cage announced at the Bahamas International Film Festival that he planned to curtail his future acting endeavors to pursue other interests. OnThe Dresden Files for theSci-Fi Channel, Cage is listed as the executive producer.[77] The much-criticizedGhost Rider (2007), based on theMarvel Comics character, fared better, 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.[78] Also in 2007, he had a small but notable role as the Chinese criminal mastermindDr. Fu Manchu inRob Zombie's fake trailerWerewolf Women of the S.S. from theB-moviedouble featureGrindhouse,[79] starred inNext, which shared the concept of a glimpse into an alternate timeline with Cage's previous film,The Family Man,[80] and reprised his role as a treasure hunter inNational Treasure: Book of Secrets.[81]
In November 2007, Cage was spotted backstage at aRing of Honor wrestling show in New York City researching for the lead role forThe Wrestler. However, Cage dropped out of production shortly afterward because he felt that he did not have enough time to prepare for the role and directorDarren Aronofsky preferredMickey Rourke for the lead role. Rourke would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination for his performance.[82][83] In an interview with /Film, Aronofsky said of Cage's decision to leave the film 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."[84]
In 2008, Cage appeared as Joe, a contract killer who undergoes a change of heart while on a work outing in Bangkok, in the filmBangkok Dangerous. The film is shot by thePang Brothers and has a distinctly South-East Asian flavor.[85] In 2009, Cage starred in the science fiction thrillerKnowing, directed byAlex Proyas. In the film, he plays anMIT 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 that the world is going to end at the close of the week and that he and his son are somehow involved in the destruction.[86] The film received mixed reviews but was the box office winner on its opening weekend.[87]
Also in 2009, Cage starred in the filmBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, directed by acclaimed German directorWerner Herzog.[88] He portrayed a corrupt police officer with gambling, drug and alcohol addictions. The film was very well received by critics, holding a rating of 87% positive reviews on review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes.[89] Cage was lauded for his performance, withMichael Phillips of theChicago Tribune writing "Herzog has found his ideal interpreter, a performer whose truth lies deep in the artifice of performance: ladies and gentlemen, Nicolas Cage, at his finest."[90] This film reunited Cage withEva Mendes, who played his love interest inGhost Rider.[91] In 2010, Cage starred inThe Sorcerer's Apprentice, in which he played the sorcerer, and the next year, headlined the period pieceSeason of the Witch, as a 14th-century knight transporting a woman accused of causing theBlack Plague to a monastery.[92] In 2011, Cage reprised his role inGhost Rider's sequelGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.[93]
In 2013, Cage was involved in many projects. Notable films including animated filmThe Croods, in which he voiced a character named Grug Crood.The Croods received positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success grossing $585 million against a budget of $135 million.[94] He starred as main character inThe Frozen Ground, athrillercrimedrama film directed and written by Scott Walker in hisdirectorial debut, based on the crimes of real-life Alaskanserial killerRobert Hansen.[95] The film, reunited him with Cusack, depicts an Alaskan State Trooper, played by Cage, seeking to apprehend Hansen, played by Cusack, by partnering with a young woman who escaped from Hansen's clutches. The film has received mixed reviews though Cage's performance was cited as a highlight and solid.[96][97] He also starred inJoe, anindependentcrimedrama film directed and co-produced byDavid Gordon Green, adaptation fromLarry Brown's 1991 novel of the same name. In this film Nicolas Cage is a tormented man who hires a 15-year-old boy (played byTye Sheridan) and protects him from his abusive father. The film premiered at the70th Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2013,[98][99] with a subsequent screening at the2013 Toronto International Film Festival.[100] It was abox office flop, grossing only $2.36 million from a $4 million budget, but received critical acclaim from critics, who praised Cage's performance and Green's direction.
The 2016 black comedyDog Eat Dog, Cage's second film withPaul Schrader, reunited him withWillem Dafoe (afterWild at Heart) as a pair of ex-convicts hired to kidnap a baby.[101] The film had its premiere as the closing entry for theDirectors' Fortnight section at the2016 Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2016.[102] It was released on November 4, 2016, in the United States.[103]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, writing, "It's the right director for the right project and the result is Schrader's best for years: a lairy, nasty, tasty crime thriller built on black-comic chaos."[104]Todd McCarthy ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "A rare film to have been shot in Cleveland,Dog Eat Dog definitely looks like it was shot on the cheap but puts what it needs to up on the screen with vigor and wit."[105]
In 2018, Cage starred in the action thriller filmMandy,[111] which premiered on January 19 at the2018 Sundance Film Festival.[112] Nick Allen ofRogerEbert.com praised the movie, writing that "for all of the endless feral performances that Cage has given, in movies good, bad and forgettable, Cosmatos' style-driven, '80s-tastic passion for weird worlds and characters takes full advantage of Cage's greatness, and then some."[113] In October,Mandy's producerElijah Wood announced his intention to size up an Oscar campaign for Nicolas Cage and for composerJóhann Jóhannsson (who died in February of that year)[114] but the film was disqualified because it was also released on Video On Demand on September 14.[115][116][117][118]
In December 2018, it was announced that Cage had signed to play the lead role forRichard Stanley'sColor Out of Space, based on the short story "The Colour Out of Space" byH. P. Lovecraft.[123] This was Stanley's first feature film directed since his firing fromThe Island of Dr. Moreau (1996).[124]Color Out of Space premiered on September 7, 2019, in the Midnight Madness portion of the2019 Toronto International Film Festival, where Cage was awarded for his role with the Creative Coalition's Spotlight Initiative Award.[125][126] Following select preview screenings on January 22, the film was released in 81 theaters in the United States on January 24, 2020.[127]
In December 2018, it was announced thatSion Sono was working on his first overseas production and English-language debut,Prisoners of the Ghostland, starring Nicolas Cage. Cage said the film "might be the wildest movie I've ever made."[128] Its plot revolves around a notorious criminal, Hero (played by Cage), who is sent to rescue the governor's adopted granddaughter, who has disappeared into a dark region called Ghostland.[129] The film had its world premiere at the2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021.[130]
In May 2020, it was announced that Cage would be playing the role ofJoe Exotic in a scripted eight-episodeTiger King series, written and executive produced byDan Lagana.[131] It was announced that the project was scrapped in July 2021.[132] In 2013, it was confirmed that Nicolas Cage would reprise his role as Grug inThe Croods: A New Age, which was released in 2020.[133]
Cage produced and starred in the 2021 filmPig, where he plays Robin "Rob" Feld, a former chef turned reclusivetruffle-forager who must return to his past inPortland in search of his beloved foragingpig after she is kidnapped. Cage received critical acclaim for his performance and earned a second nomination for theCritics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor.[134] He gained further acclaim for portraying a fictionalized version of himself in the 2022 action comedy filmThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent as well as for his portrayal of Paul, a professor who begins appearing in the dreams of others, in the 2023Dream Scenario, resulting in his fifth Golden Globe nomination.[135][136]
The fine, ever-elusive art of Nouveau Shamanic — Will Ashton, CinemaBlend[148]
Nouveau Shamanic is a style of acting Cage developed. He has said it is to increase one's imagination without restraint, in avoidance of experiencing the sense of being ingenuous.[149][150]
The process itself is about: How do you augment your imagination in a healthy way? So that you can believe you're these characters… You don't feel like you're acting, you feel like you're being.
— Nicolas Cage
In the filmVampire's Kiss Cage moved frommethod acting to "Nouveau Shamanic." The scene where Cage recites the alphabet to his psychiatrist was a result of acting out of impulse.[150]Raising Arizona showcased the physicality of Nouveau Shamanic.[150]Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is a display of how the method leads to impulse decisions fueled by an energy one could only garner naturally.[151] Cage was asked if any of his numerous pets influence his acting, to which he replied "The cobras, definitely. They would try to hypnotize you by going side to side, and when I didGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, that's something my character does before he attacks. Animals are fun places to get inspiration."[150]
Reception
"In Cage's hands, cartoonish moments are imbued with real emotion and real emotions become cartoons. Everything – from individual scenes down to single lines of dialogue – feel like they have been embraced as opportunities for creation. Cage is usually interesting even when his films are not. He is erratic and unpredictable; he is captivating and he is capricious. He is a performer. He is a troubadour. He is a jazz musician."
According toThe Guardian film critic Luke Buckmaster, "any casual observer can see that Cage is entertaining, charismatic and wildly flamboyant." Attributing it partly to the "well-cultured" background of Cage's family, Buckmaster said the actor "is clearly attracted to grotesque characters and is celebrated for his wild and unhinged approach to them. He has the presence of a leading man, and the eccentricities of a character actor." ActorEthan Hawke stated in 2013 that Cage is "the only actor sinceMarlon Brando that's actually done anything new with the art", crediting him for taking film audiences "away from an obsession withnaturalism into a kind of presentation style of acting that I imagine was popular with the old troubadours."[153]
Film directorDavid Lynch described him as "the jazz musician of American acting."[152] Many critics have accused Cage ofoveracting.[152] Others, including Cage himself, have described his intentionally extreme performances as "mega-acting."[33][154] After the actor's series of mainstream-marketed thriller films during the late 1990s,Sean Penn toldThe New York Times in 1999 that Cage was "no longer an actor" but "more like a performer."[155] Despite this, in his speech after winning the Oscar for his performance inMystic River, Penn described Cage's performance inMatchstick Men as one of the best of 2003.[156]
During the 2010s, a growing number of critics described Cage as one of the most underrated actors of his generation.[157][158][159]
He also won aGolden Globe award,Screen Actors Guild award, and many more awards forLeaving Las Vegas. He has received nominations by the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, andBAFTA for his filmsAdaptation,Honeymoon in Vegas, andMoonstruck.[164] He has also won and been nominated formany other awards.
Personal life
Relationships and family
In 1988, Cage began dating actressChristina Fulton, with whom he has a son, Weston Coppola Cage (born in December 26, 1990). Weston has been the vocalist of twosymphonic black metal bands, Eyes of Noctrum and Arsh Anubis. Weston also appeared in his father's filmLord of War as a helicopter mechanic, and in the 2014 filmRage as Nicolas' character's younger self. Through Weston, Cage has two grandsons born in 2014 and 2016.[165] In July 2024, Weston was arrested for assaulting numerous people with a deadly weapon, including his mother; he was released on a $150,000 bond.[166][167]
Cage's first wife was actressPatricia Arquette, whom he married in April 1995 and divorced in 2001.[168]
His second marriage was to singer-songwriterLisa Marie Presley, daughter ofElvis andPriscilla Presley. (Cage, an Elvis fan, used Elvis as the inspiration for his performance inWild at Heart.) They married inKamuela, Hawaii, on August 10, 2002, and filed for divorce 107 days later on November 25, 2002. The divorce was finalized on May 24, 2004.[169]
Cage's third wife was Alice Kim. They were married at a private ranch in northern California on July 30, 2004.[170] She gave birth to their son Kal-El in October 3, 2005.[171] They divorced in January 2016.[172]
In March 2019, Cage married Erika Koike in Las Vegas, only to file for annulment four days later,[173] stating he was too intoxicated to understand his own actions and that Koike failed to disclose "the full nature and extent of her relationship with another person."[174][175] He was granted a divorce from Koike three months later.[176]
On February 16, 2021, Cage married Riko Shibata.[177] Their daughter August was born in September 7, 2022.[178]
Political views and religious beliefs
Cage grew up in a family of Catholic background, but does not talk about religion publicly and refuses to answer religion-connected questions in his interviews.[12] When asked about whether he could relate to his character's lack of religious belief inKnowing, Cage replied, "You know, any of my personal beliefs or opinions run the risk of impinging on your own relationship with the movie. I think movies are best left enigmatic. Left raising more questions than answers. I don't want to ever preach, so that's what you get from a movie; that's far more interesting than anything I could offer."[179]
At one point in his life, Cage had decided that he wanted to develop the philosophical aspect of his nature, and he went on a quest to find theHoly Grail. Cage traveled to England to look for it, but also looked at some areas of the United States.[150][182]
Charitable activities
Cage has been called one of the most generous stars in Hollywood.[183] He donated $2 million toAmnesty International for them to use to offer rehabilitation shelters, medical services and psychological and reintegration services to some of the 300,000 children forced to fight in conflicts across the world.[184] He has also donated $1 million to the victims ofHurricane Katrina.[185] He became the first artist to support ArtWorks, an artist engagement program to raise awareness of fundamental rights at work, including freedom from slavery and from child labor.[186] During 2023, while filmingThe Surfer inWestern Australia, Cage personally phoned in anAU$5,000 donation to theChannel Seven Perth Telethon.[187]
Cage has also been honored with a Humanitarian award from the United Nations for his works and appointed as a UN ambassador for Global Justice in 2009 and again in 2013.[188] He led a campaign around the filmLord of War to raise awareness about international arms control, supported "Heal the Bay", theUnited Negro College Fund efforts, and theRoyal United Hospital's Forever Friends Appeal to build intensive care units for babies.[189][190]
Interests
Cage, an avid comic book fan, auctioned a collection of 400 vintage comics throughHeritage Auctions for over $1.6 million in 2002.[191] In 2007, he created a comic book with his son Weston, calledVoodoo Child, which was published byVirgin Comics.[192] Cage is a fan and collector of painter and underground comic artistRobert Williams. He has written introductions forJuxtapoz magazine and purchased the paintingDeath on the Boards.[193]
Saturn Films
Saturn Films is aproduction company referred to by one source as "the production shingle of Nicolas Cage" and often referred to as "Cage's Saturn Films".[194] Michael Nilon has been referred to as Cage's "producing partner through" Saturn Films.[195] Norm Golightly was president of the firm for twelve years, ending in 2009.[194] In 2001, Saturn was referred to as "Intermedia-based",[196] suggesting it was part ofIntermedia, which was defunct as of 2006.
Real estate and tax problems
Schloss Neidstein in Bavaria was owned by Cage between 2007 and 2009.
Cage was once considered one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, earning $40 million in 2009 according toForbes, although he failed to makeForbes' Top 10 List in 2014.[197][198] In 2004 he bought a property onParadise Island, Bahamas. In May 2006, he bought a 40-acre (16 ha) island in theExuma archipelago, some 85 miles (137 km) southeast ofNassau and close to a similar island owned byFaith Hill andTim McGraw.[199] He bought the medieval castleSchloss Neidstein in theOberpfalz region in Germany in 2006 and sold it in 2009 for $2.5 million. His grandmother was German, living inCochem an der Mosel.[200]
In August 2007, Cage purchased "Grey Craig", a 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2) brick-and-stone country manor inMiddletown, Rhode Island. With an estate occupying 26 acres (11 ha), the home has 12 bedrooms and 10 full bathrooms and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. It borders theNorman Bird Sanctuary to the west. The sale ranked among the state of Rhode Island's most expensive residential purchases.[201][202] Also in 2007, Cage purchasedMidford Castle in Somerset, England.[203][204] Shortly after selling his German castle, Cage also put his homes in Rhode Island,Louisiana,Nevada, and California, as well as a $7-million island in theBahamas, on the market.[205]
On July 14, 2009, theInternal Revenue Service filed documents in New Orleans in connection with afederal tax lien against property owned by Cage in Louisiana, concerning unpaid federal taxes. The IRS alleged that Cage failed to pay over $6.2 million in federal income tax for the year 2007.[206] In addition, the Internal Revenue Service had another lien for more than $350,000 in unpaid taxes dating from 2002 to 2004.[207] Cage filed a $20-million lawsuit on October 16, 2009, against his business manager, Samuel J. Levin, alleging negligence and fraud.[208] The lawsuit stated that Levin "had failed to pay taxes when they were due and had placed [Cage] in speculative and risky real estate investments 'resulting in (the actor) suffering catastrophic losses.'"[208] Cage also faced separate lawsuits fromEast West Bank[209] and Red Curb Investments for unpaid, multi-million dollar loans.
The LaLaurie Mansion inNew Orleans was purchased anonymously by Cage in 2007 and sold in 2009.
Samuel Levin filed a counter-complaint and responded to the lawsuit in a filing stating that he warned Cage that he was living beyond his means and urged him to spend less. Levin's filing states that "instead of listening to Levin, cross-defendant Cage (Coppola) spent most of his free time shopping for high ticket purchases, and wound up with 15 personal residences." Levin's complaint continued: "Likewise, Levin advised Coppola against buying a Gulfstream jet, against buying and owning a flotilla of yachts, against buying and owning a squadron of Rolls Royces, against buying millions of dollars in jewelry and art."[210]
In his filing, Levin said that in 2007, Cage's "shopping spree entailed the purchase of three additional residences at a total cost of more than $33 million; the purchase of 22 automobiles (including 9 Rolls Royces), 12 purchases of expensive jewelry, and 47 purchases of artwork and exotic items."[210] One of those items was a dinosaur skull of aTarbosaurus. After discovering that it wasstolen, he returned it to the Mongolian authorities.[211]
According to Cage, he owned the "Most Haunted House in America", a home located in theFrench Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.[212] Known as "The LaLaurie House" after its former ownerDelphine LaLaurie, the house was foreclosed and sold at auction on November 12, 2009, along with another New Orleans property for a total of $5.5 million, in the wake of Cage's financial problems.[213] HisBel Air home, which had six loans totaling $18 million on it, failed to sell at an April 2010 foreclosure auction despite an opening offer of $10.4 million, substantially less than the $35 million that Cage had originally tried to sell it for. The home, built in 1940 for $110,000 (equivalent to about $1.9 million in 2024), had been owned at different times byDean Martin and singerTom Jones.[197]
The home eventually sold in November 2010 for $10.5 million.[214] Another home in Nevada also faced foreclosure auction.[213] In November 2011, Cage sold hisAction Comics #1 in an online auction managed byHeritage Auctions for a record-breaking $2.16 million (the previous record being $1.5 million), to assist paying his tax liens and other debts. Cage purchased the comic in 1997 for $110,000.[215] The comic had been stolen from him in 2000, and Cage had received an insurance payment on the item. In March 2011, it was found in a storage locker in theSan Fernando Valley and was verified by ComicConnect.com to be the copy sold to Cage previously.[216] Worth around $25 million by May 2017, Cage was reportedly "taking [film] roles left and right" in order to pay off his remaining debts.[217] By 2022, Cage confirmed that he had finally paid off his debts and intended to be more selective with his film roles.[218]
Christina Fulton sued Cage in December 2009 for $13 million and for the house in which she was living. The suit was in response to an order that she leave the dwelling; the order resulted from Cage's financial difficulties.[223] The case was settled in June 2011.[224]
Cage was arrested in New Orleans'French Quarter district on April 15, 2011, for suspicion of domestic abusebattery, disturbing the peace and public intoxication. A police officer was flagged down by onlookers after Cage allegedly grabbed his wife's upper arm while appearing to be under the influence of alcohol.[225] Cage was held in police custody until a bail of $11,000 was posted byDuane "Dog" Chapman.[226] He was later ordered to appear in court on May 31, 2011.[227] The New Orleans District Attorney announced that the charges against Cage had been dropped on May 5, 2011.[228][229]
^Allen, Nick (January 20, 2018)."Sundance 2018: Mandy".RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC.Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. RetrievedJune 28, 2018.
^Werner, Frank (August 10, 2006)."Liebeserklärung ans neue Heim" [Declaration of love for a new home].Onetz (in German). Archived fromthe original on February 15, 2008. RetrievedApril 7, 2018.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
