Trivia

Proposed to Patricia Arquette on the day he met her in the early 1980s. Arquette thought he was rather strange but played along with his antics by creating a list of things Cage would have to fulfill to win her. When he started to work his way through the list, Arquette got scared and avoided him. They met again many years later and later went on to marry.

He said he realized that all great movie stars, such as Spencer Tracy, had had recognizable voices, so he has stylized his to be distinctive.

Johnny Depp was his neighbor at the Fontenoy Tower apartments in 1984. At the time Johnny was a guitar player in the band Rock City Angels and was struggling financially. They both lived on the 6th floor. It was only after repeated suggestion and an introduction to Cage's agent that Depp chose to become an actor and quit his band.

After his first film role (in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)), he adopted the stage name of Cage, because he wanted to assure himself that any success he had was based on his own merits, not the fame of his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola.

Once woke up in his house at Orange County in the middle of the night to find a naked man eating a fudgesicle in front of his bed. The man was arrested by police but Cage pressed no charges.

Was originally considered for the role of Brad Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), but after his audition the studio thought his performance was too dark and the role went, instead, to Judge Reinhold. Additionally, Cage was 17 at the time and could not work as many hours as actors over 18. In this film, he is credited under the name Nicolas Coppola for the first and only time.

Stage name taken from comic book character Luke Cage.

Loves to improvise, ocassionally to the annoyance of other cast members.

In 2006, he donated $2 million to Amnesty International for a fund to help child soldiers.

Ate a real cockroach in the film Vampire's Kiss (1988), this reportedly took three takes. He once said about the experience, "Every muscle in my body didn't want to do it, but I did it anyway.".

One of the reasons he divorced Lisa Marie Presley was because her first husband Danny Keough lived in a guest house on their property and Cage found that highly inappropriate.

Collects comic books and sees them as being today's equivalent of mythology.

Stated that the reason he owned so many pieces of property in the past--including multiple castles, mansions, and an island--was to protect his money without buying stock or relying on a bank, believing that real estate was the most trustworthy way to accomplish this. However, after the real estate bubble collapsed, he sold most of his property at a loss and rescinded on his belief. He now owns a modest amount of property: a house in Las Vegas near his friends and a small cottage near Glastonbury, England.

When Cage was arrested in New Orleans and charged with alleged domestic violence against his wife, Alice, and disturbing the peace. The $11,000 needed to bail him out was posted by Duane 'Dog' Chapman, better known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter". (April 16, 2011)

Every time he's been nominated for an Oscar, it's been for playing a screenwriter.

Mentioned in an interview that he's a massive fan of Quentin Tarantino and expresses great interest in working with him in the future.

His is (along with his cousin Sofia Coppola) the third generation of Oscar winners in the Coppola family. His uncle, Francis Ford Coppola and his grandfather, Carmine Coppola, are the other two generations. They are the second family to do so, the first family is the Hustons - Anjelica Huston, John Huston and Walter Huston.

Nephew of Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire.

Referred to as the "Jazz musician of acting" by David Lynch.

He named his five favorite films as The Wizard of Oz (1939), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), East of Eden (1955), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and A Clockwork Orange (1971).

Former son-in-law of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley.

The historic LaLurie House on the corner of Royal and Gov. Nicholls Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, which Cage bought for $3,450,000 in 2007, is reputed to be haunted by the many slaves tortured and killed by Delphine LaLurie in the 1830s.

On American Horror Story (2011), whilst taking a tour of the LaLaurie Mansion on Royal Street in New Orleans, Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), asks "Wasn't this house owned by the guy in Face/Off?" The tour guide replies, "Correct! The actor Nicolas Cage, was a previous owner." In truth, Cage did purchase the house in 2007. The house is considered by many, to be the most Haunted House in America.

Became a grandfather for the first time at age 50 when his son Weston Cage welcomed a son, Lucian Augustus Coppola Cage on July 1, 2014.

1997: He lived in a fake castle on the outskirts Los Angeles. He wants to import an authentic one from overseas.

Offered the role of Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002), which went to Willem Dafoe.

Met his future wife, Alice Kim Cage, at a sushi bar where she was a waitress. When they married she was only 20 years old.

Was originally cast as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler (2008). However, Cage dropped out of the film because he felt he didn't have time to bulk up for the role and director Darren Aronofsky's heart was set on Mickey Rourke. Mickey would go on to win a Golden Globe and be nominated for an Oscar for his performance.

Owns the rights of the original movie The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963), which he bought from Ted Turner, with the intention of turning this into a movie.

Received Johnny Depp his first acting job.

Became a father for the first time at age 26 when his girlfriend Christina Fulton gave birth to their son Weston Cage on December 26, 1990.

Trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Royce Gracie. Nicolas Cage also trains in Wing Chun, Karate and Jeet Kune Do.

2007: He bought Midford Castle (though not an actual castle) near Bath, England for an estimated price £5 million (about $10 million).

Reserved a permanent tomb for himself at Saint Louis Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Became a father for the second time at age 41 when his third wife Alice Kim Cage gave birth to their son Kal-El Cage on October 3, 2005. Just as Nick was named after a comic book character, Luke Cage, so he has named his son after the comic book character Kal-El (aka Superman).

Despite playing her father in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Cage is one year younger than Helen Hunt.

On his upper back, he has a tattoo of monitor lizard with a top hat.

Cousin of Sofia Coppola, Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola.

Nicolas Cage separated from his wife of 12 years, Alice Kim, on June 26, 2016. They share 10 year-old son, Kal-El.

Considered "Blue" before settling on "Cage" as his surname.

Attended the same high school as Angelina Jolie, Michael Klesic, Lenny Kravitz, David Schwimmer, Jonathan Silverman, Gina Gershon, Rhonda Fleming, Jackie Cooper, Rob Reiner, Antonio Sabato Jr., Pauly Shore, Michael Tolkin, Betty White, Corbin Bernsen, Elizabeth Daily, Albert Brooks and Crispin Glover.

Was to have starred in 'Superman Lives' to be directed by Tim Burton but Warner Bros. canceled the project. Cage even did fittings of the costume.

Filed for an annulment in Las Vegas from Erika Koike just four days after they married in Las Vegas, claiming that they were "drinking to the point of intoxication" to understand what they were doing. The Blast reports that Koike agrees the marriage was a mistake as well, and will not contest the annulment or a divorce. Cage also claims fraud because Koike didn't disclose to him the extent of another relationship she was in, and an on-going criminal matter.

Owns a Lamborghini that used to belong to Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi, the former prince of Iran.

2001: Announced that he is dating Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. They later married.

Attended and graduated from UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.

Father, August Coppola, was formerly a professor at Cal State Long Beach and Dean of Creative Arts at San Francisco State University.

During an A&E Biography on him, the host explained that Cage was director Sam Raimi's first choice to play Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in the movie Spider-Man (2002). Apparently, this was before he met Willem Dafoe.

Auditioned for the role of Joel Goodson in Risky Business (1983), which eventually went to Tom Cruise and helped launch his career.

In a huge fan of Elvis Presley. In Wild at Heart (1990), he performed the Elvis Presley classic "Love Me" with uncanny aplomb.