Hollywood Star Nicolas Cage Legally Family Name
Hollywood Star Nicolas Cage Legally Drops Coppola Family Name
LOS ANGELES — Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage has revealed that he legally changed his name last year, officially ditching his birth name to formalise the famous moniker he has used on screen for more than four decades.
The 62-year-old star, born Nicolas Kim Coppola, confirmed the legal transition during an interview with Variety, explaining that he wanted to completely separate his identity from his Hollywood royalty lineage. Cage is the nephew of legendary The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola.
"I officially changed my name legally last year," Cage said. "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, so I decided I'm going to bring it on and be Cage."
Escaping the Shadow of Nepotism
Though the actor has used the surname "Cage" professionally since 1983, his legal documentation, including his passport and driving licence, had always retained the Coppola name.
He initially adopted the pseudonym at the start of his acting career following a minor role in the 1982 high-school comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Credited under his birth name, he faced relentless teasing from cast and crew members who mocked his family connections, frequently quoting lines from his uncle's war epic Apocalypse Now.
Anxious to establish himself on his own merits and avoid allegations of nepotism, he chose a new surname inspired by two of his favourite cultural figures:
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Luke Cage: The Marvel Comics superhero, also known as Power Man.
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John Cage: The pioneering American avant-garde composer.
'A French Spelling'
While his surname has officially shifted, the actor noted that he intentionally kept his first name, despite a lifetime of minor paperwork frustrations.
"I thought, well, I'll keep the name Nicolas because my father named me Nicolas — with French spelling, which has always frustrated me, because everyone adds an 'h'," Cage explained. "I don't know why he gave me the French spelling! But he did."
He added that he remains relaxed about whether fans call him "Nick" or "Nicolas", noting: "I'm both! I think people know me as both."
Cage, who won an Academy Award for his performance in Leaving Las Vegas (1995), is currently promoting his new streaming series Spider-Noir, a gritty, 1930s-style Marvel thriller on Prime Video.
