Born As: Nicolas Coppola
Born: January 7, 1964, Long Beach, CA
Education: American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA (acting)

Engaging, sleepy-eyed American star, a nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, who graduated from teenage parts in VALLEY GIRL (1983) and his uncle's underrated RUMBLE FISH (1983) to a series of effective, idiosyncratic leading roles.

Cage first made serious dramatic waves opposite Matthew Modine in BIRDY (1984), Alan Parker's duet for emotionally scarred Vietnam veterans. His callow 1950s rocker in Coppola's nostalgic PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED (1986) was not praised at the time, but now seems like a skillful caricature. His goofier qualities again assumed center stage in the Coen brothers' screwball comedy RAISING ARIZONA (1987) and David Lynch's odyssey, WILD AT HEART (1990).

Although critics were divided on Cage's work as the inarticulate but philosophical baker in the popular MOONSTRUCK (1987), they united with the public in ignoring AMOS & ANDREW (1993), but his wacky charm was central to the success of Andrew Bergman's comedy, HONEYMOON IN VEGAS (1992). Returning to the Nevada city in Mike Figgis' LEAVING LAS VEGAS (1995), he delivered a multi-layered award-winning performance as an alcoholic writer. Bringing warmth and humor to what could have been an unsympathetic role, Cage earned some of the best notices of his career.

Recently, Cage has taken up the title of "super-hero" starring in such roles as THE ROCK (1996), CON AIR and FACE/OFF (both 1997) and soon to be the next Superman in the near future.