Cage changed his name early in life so as to not be in anyway connected with Francis Ford Coppola, his nephew.
This has still slowed his career down, especially early on, with many uninformed cricics believing he got big roles simply because he knew people who were high up in the business, somthing which was never true.
Cage started from rock bottom, and can now earn 7 figure sums in movies, and is a huge draw to cinema goers.
Cages early films in the 1980s were a strange bunch at best. He played wierd and unconventional men in "Peggy Sue Got Married" in 1986, and the next year in "Raising Arizona".
Cages big break came with "Moonstruck" in 1990, were he won a golden globe for his efforts.
Those who doubt Cage's acting talent should see some of his early 90's films, were he played some amazing and diverse roles.
He was a crazy murderer in "Wild at Heart" and an alchoholic in "Leaving Las Vegas". For this film he won Best Actor Oscar.
Cage had established himself as a fine actor, almost on the A list, but he needed just a few more exellent films to cement his place.
What came were a trilogy of action films. "The Rock" with Sean Connery, "Con Air" with John Malkovich and "Face/Off" alongside John Travolta. All 3, especially the last were amazing successes, both with critics and the public.
Cage then shifted again, with the romantic drama "City Of Angels"."8mm" came next and is probably my favourite Cage film, not because its about the pornography industry (not completely anyway) but because of the dark twisting storyline.
He then married Patricia Arquette and starred alongside her in "Bringing Out the Dead", but the marriage didnt last and they divorced not long after.
The cars stole the show in "Gone in Sixty Seconds", which has become many peoples favourite Cage� film of all time, even though the storyline was awfull.
His latest work was in the so-so "Family Man" and "Captain Correlli's Mandolin",
Cages current project is the interesting looking "Windtalkers", a war drama.
I would think Cage has reached his peak by now, and the action roles will probably dry up. But what many people dont see is that Nicolas Cage is a great actor and not to be underestimated.
