Nicolas Cage

Biography: A quirky movie star who's alternately admired and criticized for his over-the-top performances, Cage has enjoyed a dramatic, hit-or-miss career. Early on he was the poster child for rebellious boys (Rumble Fish, Racing with the Moon), but a trio of '80s romantic comedies opposite comparatively mature leading ladies proved that he could play disparate adult characters. In the neoscrewball comedy Raising Arizona (with Holly Hunter), he was a goofy but kindhearted ex-con. The operatic Moonstruck (starring Cher) showcased his fiery, Italian side. And his uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola, gave him free rein to inhabit both a nasal-voiced, '60s teen and a middle-aged philanderer in the time-tripping Peggy Sue Got Married opposite Kathleen Turner. Although Cage was undeniably a star, he was an acquired taste, famous for his intense characterizations and Method-acting madness (while filming the 1989 cult film Vampire's Kiss, he ingested a live cockroach). In the '90s, Cage movedA quirky movie star who's alternately admired and criticized for his over-the-top performances, Cage has enjoyed a dramatic, hit-or-miss career. Early on he was the poster child for rebellious boys (Rumble Fish, Racing with the Moon), but a trio of '80s romantic comedies opposite comparatively mature leading ladies proved that he could play disparate adult characters. In the neoscrewball comedy Raising Arizona (with Holly Hunter), he was a goofy but kindhearted ex-con. The operatic Moonstruck (starring Cher) showcased his fiery, Italian side. And his uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola, gave him free rein to inhabit both a nasal-voiced, '60s teen and a middle-aged philanderer in the time-tripping Peggy Sue Got Married opposite Kathleen Turner. Although Cage was undeniably a star, he was an acquired taste, famous for his intense characterizations and Method-acting madness (while filming the 1989 cult film Vampire's Kiss, he ingested a live cockroach). In the '90s, Cage moved between genres, taking on comedies (Honeymoon in Vegas), art-house films (Wild at Heart) and action flicks (Fire Birds), before landing the part that finally earned him unanimous praise and myriad awards, including an Oscar: a suicidal, alcoholic writer in 1995's harrowing Leaving Las Vegas. Instead of continuing on the serious-actor track, however, Cage reinvented himself once again, this time as an action hero in a string of big-budget blockbusters (The Rock, Face/Off). With his pick of projects, he seemed sometimes to choose randomly, starring in a hodgepodge of pictures. For every box-office hit (National Treasure) or critical triumph (Adaptation, which earned him an Oscar nod) he made three flops (Windtalkers, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Sonny, which he also directed). Yet he remained in the spotlight thanks to his prolific output and tempestuous love life, which included failed marriages to Patricia Arquette and Lisa Marie Presley. In 2004, Cage married sushi waitress Alice Kim, who was some 20 years his junior. Expand

Nicolas Cage's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average career score: 50
Highest Metascore: 87 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Lowest Metascore: 12 Left Behind
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 104
  2. Negative: 35 out of 104
104 movie reviews
Title: Year: Credit: User score:
41 G-Force Jul 24, 2009 Speckles / Speckles tbd
41 Knowing Mar 20, 2009 John Koestler / John Koestler 6.5
24 Bangkok Dangerous Sep 5, 2008 Producer / Producer / Producer / Joe / Joe / Joe tbd
78 Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired Jul 11, 2008 Himself / Himself tbd
48 National Treasure: Book of Secrets Dec 21, 2007 Ben Gates 5.9
42 Next Apr 27, 2007 Producer / Producer / Cris Johnson / Cris Johnson 2.5
35 Ghost Rider Feb 16, 2007 Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider 4.0
36 The Wicker Man Sep 1, 2006 Producer / Producer / Edward Malus / Edward Malus 6.0
66 World Trade Center Aug 9, 2006 John McLoughlin 5.6
59 The Ant Bully Jul 28, 2006 Zoc 5.6
61 The Weather Man Oct 28, 2005 David Spritz / David Spritz 6.9
62 Lord of War Sep 16, 2005 Producer / Producer / Yuri Orlov / Yuri Orlov 7.4
40 National Treasure Nov 19, 2004 Ben Gates 6.9
61 Matchstick Men Sep 12, 2003 Roy Waller / Roy Waller tbd
31 The Life of David Gale Feb 21, 2003 Producer 6.7
31 Sonny Dec 27, 2002 Director / Director / Producer / Producer / Acid Yellow / Acid Yellow 7.5
83 Adaptation. Dec 6, 2002 Charlie Kaufman/Donald Kaufman / Charlie Kaufman/Donald Kaufman tbd
51 Windtalkers Jun 14, 2002 Sergeant Joe Enders 6.1
71 Shadow of the Vampire Dec 29, 2000 Producer / Producer 7.7
42 The Family Man Dec 22, 2000 Jack Campbell 8.2
35 Gone in Sixty Seconds Jun 9, 2000 Memphis Raines 8.0
72 Bringing Out the Dead Oct 22, 1999 Frank Pierce / Frank Pierce 7.1
21 8MM Feb 26, 1999 Tom Welles 6.5
52 Snake Eyes Aug 7, 1998 Rick Santoro 2.2
54 City of Angels Apr 10, 1998 Seth 8.1
82 Face/Off Jun 27, 1997 Castor Troy/Sean Archer 8.8
52 Con Air Jun 6, 1997 Cameron Poe 8.5
58 The Rock Jun 7, 1996 Dr. Stanley Goodspeed / Stanley Goodspeed 8.5
82 Leaving Las Vegas Oct 27, 1995 Ben Sanderson / Ben Sanderson tbd
72 Kiss of Death Apr 21, 1995 Little Junior Brown / Little Junior Brown 3.5

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