Biographic - Sunday September 1, 2013 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

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Biographic Steve McGarry Nicolas Cage Early in his career, Nicolas Cage established a reputation for an eccentric approach to his craft. To prepare for his starring role in the 1984 movie "Birdy," he had two teeth extracted, lost 20 pounds and then refused to remove facial bandages during the entire shoot! In "Vampire's Kiss," he ate a live cockroach! Hi private life is no less colorful. He once lived in a fake castle in Los Angeles, and he names his son Kal-el, which was Superman's name on planet Krypton! Born in 1964 into a famously creative clan, Nicolas Kim Coppola landed his first speaking role at the age of 17 in the TV movie "The Best of Times." The following year, he had a small role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Soon after, finding that the famous family name was more drawback than bonus, he adopted the name Nicolas Cage. Yet it was the trio of films that he made for his uncle, legendary director Francis Ford Coppola - "Rumble Fish," "The Cotton Club" and "Peggy Sue Got Married" - that put him on the Hollywood map. The 1987 romance "Moonstruck" earned Cher an Oscar and brought cage a Golden Globe nomination, while movies such as "Birdy," "Vampire's Kiss" and "Wild at Heart" saw him explore darker, quirkier roles. He went on to star in some major box-office hits, action movies such as "Con Air," "the Rock," "Face/Off" and "Gone in 60 seconds" were interspersed with lighter fare such as "It Could Happen to You" and "Family Man," and the romance "Captain Corelli's Mandolin." His work has also brought him critical acclaim. The 1995 drama "Leaving Las Vegas" earned him the best actor Academy Award, and seven years later he was nominated once more for his portrayal of twin brothers in "Adaptation." Cage's hit movies "National Treasure" and "Ghost Rider" both spawned sequels, and his recent credits have included the action movie "Bangkok Dangerous" and the horror flick "Season of the Witch." Cage's output in 2013 has so far ranged from the animated hit "The Croods" to his latest thriller "The Frozen Ground."

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