Nicolas Cage has legally changed his name to match his stage name, in a bid to forge his own identity and distance himself from his famous family. The 62-year-old actor, born Nicolas Kim Coppola, is the nephew of legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. He has long used the surname Cage professionally, but only made it legal last year.
“I am Nick Cage. I changed my name legally last year,” the actor told Variety. “I’m Nick Cage in life, and I’m Nick Cage on camera. ‘Tis better to be the patriarch of my own little family than the clown cousin on the margins of someone else’s.”
Cage explained that the name “Cage” was inspired by the comic book superhero Luke Cage and composer John Cage. He wanted “something short and sweet” like James Dean, and kept his first name because his father named him Nicolas with a French spelling, which he said has always frustrated him.
The actor, who has three children with different mothers, rose to fame in the 1983 film Valley Girl and won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas. He currently stars in the superhero series Spider-Noir on Amazon Prime Video.
Cage previously recalled being sent to live with his uncle Francis Ford Coppola after his parents divorced, which he described as a frustrating experience that fueled his ambition. “It was like a golden key was given to me,” he said. “I said, ‘You know what? I am going to get back. I am going to get even somehow.’”
