Nicolas Cage is an American actor known for his intense acting and memeable scenes. This article looks at his life choices, personality, filmography and relationship with the art of cinema.
Nicolas Cage is an actor whose films I enjoy watching very much. His wild, at times memeified performances, have however not always managed to convince the general opinion or critics for that matter. His detractors often note that all his dialog is either whispered or screamed. Yet, there is something oddly magnetic about the way Cage acts, somehow managing to anchor himself into my brain through a blend of charisma, eccentricity and pure devotion to his craft. Admittedly, there is also a bit of nostalgia on my part: a few of his performances truly stuck with me as a teen, such as in the hilarious Raising Arizona, the terrific Matchstick Men and the adventurous National Treasure duology.
Cage’s devotion to the art of acting can be understood by looking at his family tree. He is director Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew as well as Sofia Coppola’s cousin. Rather than direct, Nic Cage preferred acting, choosing to use a pseudonym so as to earn his way into the industry as opposed to being hired on the basis of nepotism. While he did not take on the Coppola name, he did take on the family’s bravado, ambition and unequivocal love for the big screen. An ambitious and confident Cage built an impressive resume in the ’80s and ‘90s culminating in his 1996 Oscar win for the leading role in Leaving Las Vegas. Cage would often choose off-beat or auteur projects for which he could fully explore his character’s persona and deliver an artistic performance.
His eccentricity and love for art are what launched his career but also led him to spend more money than he could afford. Among other things, the actor bought dinosaur skulls, rare exotic animals and two European castles and fell into considerable debt. Just like everyone else, Cage had to work more in order to earn more meaning he ended up accepting roles in projects he was not necessarily enthused by. Many were straight-to-video and carried little artistic value like The Runner, 211 or The Trust. Many actors accept roles for their financial incentives more than their artistic appeal. Some do not necessarily feel bothered to perform well in these instances since they are not chasing critical acclaim and end up phoning it in. Robert de Niro, Harrison Ford, Bill Murray are actors who have tended to put little work into some of their later performances. Cage however lives and dies for the art of acting and takes pride in giving his all regardless of the role. “Even if the movie ultimately is crummy, they know I’m not phoning it in, that I care every time.” He told GQ in 2022. Even when his role as Superman in The Flash involved no dialog whatsoever, Nic Cage insisted on finding how to convey emotions — fear, loss, trauma — solely through his character’s eyes, he told Yahoo. This way of thinking is to me what sets him apart from many others in the industry and can be felt in his performance. His performances aren’t always golden, but they truly show the Cage’s full engagement in his role every single time. It is this grit, this commitment, this devotion which sets him apart.
I also think that this type of commitment to the art is what has enabled the actor to bounce back from his slump. What Cage wants is to be attached to artistically driven projects and to explore his relationship with the art of performing. By building a reputation for himself through which he is seen as someone who is willing to give 110% to each and every role he takes on, not only has he stayed on the radar of interesting and up and coming directors, but he has also given himself the opportunity to step back into the spotlight. The past few years have been particularly good to Nic Cage, making his comeback to the mainstream thanks to Mandy and Into the Spider-verse, starring in the very meta The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent alongside Pedro Pascal as well as Dream Scenario produced by Ari Aster. His acting abilities and eye for captivating and avant-gardist projects give me hope that Cage may still have a long and successful career and many more wild roles to play.
As a fan of cinema, I am always appreciative of the artists, not only actors but directors, vfx artists, makeup artists, screenwriters, producers and more who strive to produce something unique and their own for the sake of artistic discovery. Nicolas Cage is among the most passionate, resilient and artistically driven actors in activity. His approach to acting is so singular and shows so much love for the art that it systematically translates on screen. Watching him in a movie is always such a pleasure because I know that no other actor would give a performance quite like him. Creative genius may often come with eccentric quirks but like with Mr. Cage, it finds a way.
Colin Lhernould
